LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,     N.    J. 

THE  JOHIT  M.    KREBS  DONATION 


Dirision.JZ).>D  ^    \      I  Zj 
Section. .juL/.^     {    C-t 


aopv(  B 


sF .  — '      *« 


comme:^taet 


ON   THE 


SECOND    EPISTLE 


OF 


THE  APOSTLE  PETEPi. 


y     BY 
JOHN    T.    DEMAREST,   D.D., 

MINISTER    OP    THE    REFORMED     DUTCH    CHURCH,     PASCACK,    N.    J. 


NEW  YORK: 

A.  LLOYD,  115  NASSAU  STREET. 

1865. 


BERGEN  &  TRIPP,  PRINTERS, 
103  Fulton  St,  N.  T. 


'  * 


PREFACE. 


Our  commentary  on  the  second  epistle  4>f  Peter  is  chiefly 
exegetical,  or  designed  to  explain  what  we  conceive  to  be  the  , 
true  meaning  of  the  Apostle ;  or  rather,  what  the  Holy  Spirit 
signifies  by  him.  There  are  but  few  commentaries  of  this  kind 
on  this  portion  of  scripture  extant  in  our  language ;  and  the  one 
here  offered  to  the  Christian  reader  is  the  fruit  of  years  of  labor. 
Those  who  take  pleasure  in  searching  the  Scriptures,  because 
tliey  testify  of  Christ  and  of  eternal  life  in  him,  should  not  be 
deterred  from  jierusing  an  exposition  of  this  sort,  even  if  entirely 
unacquainted  with  the  Greek  language;  for  we  have  studied 
so  to  give  the  explanation,  as  to  make  it  intelligible  to  the  mere 
English  reader,  as  well  as  to  others.  And  when  quotations  from 
any  author  are  given  in  Latin  or  Greek,  they  are  in  almost  every 
instance  translated,  or  the  substance  of  them  stated  in  our  lan- 
guage. 

The  author  hopes  that  liis  work  will  be  of  some  use  to  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry ;  though  he  does  not  expect  them  to  agree 
with  him  in  all  things  :  all  that  he  can  say  is,  that  he  has  honestly 
endeavored  to  ascertain  the  meaning  of  this  part  of  Holy  Scrip- 
ture, and  to  state  it  with  clearness  and  brevity.  The  introduc- 
tion is  more  protracted  than  we  had  originally  intended,  but  the 
importance  of  the  enquiry  with  respect  to  the  authenticity  of  the 


4  PREFACE. 

Epistle,  and  the  efforts  made  by  uioderii  critics  to  brand  it  as 
•spurious,  must  be  our  apology. 

Tlie  translation  of  the  epistle  is  an  essential  part  of  the  interpreta- 
tion, and  if  justice  is  done  us  herein,  it  must  be  viewed  in  that  light. 
It  is  accordingly  sometimes  slavishly  literal,  inelegant  and  bald, 
corresponding  more  to  the  Greek  than  to  the  English  idiom ; 
oftener,  however,  it  is  more  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  our 
tongue.  It  has  been  made,  therefore,  not  to  show  what  an  Eng- 
lish version  should  be ;  not  to  disparage  the  translation  in  com- 
mon use;  but,  in  connection  with  the  exj^lanations,  to  give  more 
easily  our  own  view  of  the  exact  meaning  of  the  original  text. 
Since  this  is  alone  authentic  and  inspired,  a  Commentator  has  a 
perfect  right  to  take  his  own  way  of  eliciting  the  sense  of  the 
original.  Nor  does  the  mode  which  we  have  adopted  tend  to 
lessen  the  esteem  which  unlearned  Chi'istians  should  feel  towards 
the  excellent  version  of  this  Epistle  in  common  use ;  which  Avill  be 
evident  to  all  who  compare  them. 

The  Expositors  to  whom  we  are  especially  indebted  for  assist- 
ance are  repeatedly  mentioned  in  the  commentary.  The  citations, 
or  translations  from  Galvin  are  taken  from  the  Amsterdam  edition 
of  his  works.  Jienson^s  "  Paraphrase  and  Notes  on  the  Seven 
Catholic  Epistles,"  London  edition,  1749.  McKnight  on  the 
Apostolical  Epistles,  Philadelphia  edition,  1835.  Our  occasional 
references  to  Beza  are  from  the  following  work :  Jesu  Christi  D. 
N.  Novum  Testamentum  Theodoro  Beza  interj^rete.  Additfe 
sunt  summre  breves  doctrinal  in  Evangelistas,  et  Acta  Apostolo- 
rum,  item,  Methodus  Apostolicarum  Epistolarum  ab  eodem  au- 
tore,  cum  brevi  phraseon,  et  locorum  difficiliorum  expositione,  ex 
ipsius  ■  autoris  majoribus  annotationibus  desumpta,  paucis  etiam 
additis  ex  Joach.  Camerarii  notationibus  in  Evangelistas  et  Acta  : 
by  P.  Loselerius  Villerius.  London,  1574.  It  has  been  out  of  our 
power  to  consult  the  Cambridge  edition  of  1642. 

If,  in  any  instance,  then,  we  have  done  injustice  to  Beza,  the 
cause  of  it  is  explained.     HengeVs  Gnomon  Novi  Testamenti, 


PREFACE.  5 

third  edition,  by  M.  E.  Beiigel  and  Steudel.  Tubingin,  1835  and 
183G.  Tliomas  Smith:  Coramentarius,  etc.,  in  his  Miscellanea, 
London,  1690. 

The  following  editions  of  the  Greek  Testament  have  been  con- 
stantly consulted : 

Hahn,  by  Professor  Robinson. 

Bloomfield,  Philadelphia,  1844. 

Griesbach,  edition  of  1805. 

Lachmann's  larger  edition.    Berlin,  vol.  I,  1842,  vol.  II,  1850. 

Tiscliendorf 's  Editio  Septima  Critiea  Major,  published  by  Win- 
ter, Leipsic,  1859. 

We  have  also  constantly  examined  Tyndale's  Xew  Testament, 
edition  of  1526  ;  the  Vulgate,  and  particularly  as  found  in  Lach- 
mann's work,  above  mentioned ;  also  the  translation  of  the  Syriac 
New  Testament  by  Murdock,  though  we  have  not  cited  it  as  an 
authority  unless  confirmed  by  Tischendorf. 

Some  various  readings  have  been  given,  chiefly  to  demonstrate 
how  trifling  and  unimportant  most  of  them  are,  and  on  Avhat  a 
solid  foundation  the  integrity  and  uncorrupted  preservation  of 
the  New  Testament  rest.  The  authorities  for  and  against  the 
various  readings,  have  been  taken  from  the  editions  of  Lachmann 
and  Tischendorf  by  a  careful  collation.  If  there  are  any  mistakes 
arising  from  oversight  in  this  particular,  they  can  easily  be  cor- 
rected by  a  reference  to  them.  Tischendorf  gives  the  authorities 
most  accurately  and  fully.  He  has  examined  the  uncial  manu- 
scripts with  great  care  and  diligence,  and  constantly  refers 
to  them;  also,  to  the  cursive  manuscripts,  and  versions,  and  to 
the  ancient  ecclesiastical  writers  or  fathers.  In  his  introduction, 
besides  other  interesting  topics,  he  gives  an  admirable  catalogue 
and  description  of  the  uncial  manuscripts ;  a  catalogue  also  of  the 
cursive  ones,  and  explanations  as  to  the  editions  of  the  Fathers 
used  by  him. 

The  tmeial  manuscripts,  containing  the  Catholic  Epistles,  are 
comparatively  few,  and  for  the  sake  of  those  who  may  not  have 


6  PREFACE. 

a  critical  edition  of  the  New  Testament  in  their  possession,  we 
will  mention  them  :  (the  cursive.,  about  200.) 

A.  The  Alexandrine  Manuscript  of  the  6th  century.  It  con- 
tains the  Old  and  New  Testaments  nearly  complete.  The 
Catholic  Epistles,  as  found  in  this  manuscript,  are  complete. 

B.  The  Vatican  Manuscript  of  the  4th  century.  It  contains 
the  Catholic  Epistles  complete,  and  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments nearly  so. 

C.  Codex  rescriptus  S.  Ephrae^ni  of  the  5th  century.  As  to 
the  Catholic  Epistles,  there  are  some  deficiencies. 

G.   Codex  hihliothecm  Angelicce,  (of  the  Augustines  at  Rome,) 
or  Codex  Tassionei,  formerly  belonging  to  Cardinal  Pnssione. 
It  is  of  the  9th  Century,  and  contains  the  text  of  the  Acts, 
Pauline  and  Catholic  Epistles.       As  to  the  latter,  nothing  is 
wanting. 
K.   Codex  Mosquensis   S.   Synodi   Nr  xcviii,   ex   monasterio 
S.  Dionysii   in   monte   Atho.       Matthseio  dicitur  codex  g. 
Scholzio  cod.  102.     It  seem  to  be  of  the  9th  century,  and  con- 
tains the  Catholic  Epistles  complete,  adjuncta  catena  patrum, 
(Tischendorf,  Compare  Hahn's  New  Testament  by  Robin- 
son, and  Hug's  Introduction  to  New  Testament  by  Fosdick.) 
To  avoid  tedious  and  needless  circumlocution,  we  have  gener- 
ally given  our  explanations  in  an  unequivocal   and  decided  man- 
ner ;  but  by  so  doing,  we  have  never  intended  them  to  be  dogmat- 
ical.    Where  the  phrase,  "in  our  judgment,"  is  not  expressed, 
the  reader  will  have  the  goodness  to  suppose  it  understood,  or 
implied.     If  any  should  not  be  satisfied  with  this,  then  we  com- 
mend to  their  attention  a  few  words  from  a  sensible  heathen  poet : 
Naturam  expellas  furca,  tamen  usque  recurret. 

Pascack,  Beeg-en  Co.,  N.  J.,  Jan.  16th,  1862. 


INTRODUCTION. 


I.     An  Inquiry  into  the  Genuineness  or  Authenticity  of 
THE  Epistle. 

§  1.  Preliminary  remarks  concerning  the  books  of  the  JVew 
Testament  called,  Cofitrovei'ted,  hy  Eusebius. 

EusEBius,  of  Caesarea,  published  his  Ecclesiastical  History* 
about  A.  D.  312.  He  has  done  good  sei'vice  for  the  church  in 
preserving  many  extracts  from  ancient  writers  in  reference  to  the 
books  of  the  New  Testament.  His  learning  in  this  department 
is  unquestionable,  and  far  superior  to  his  judgment  and  critical 
acumen,  in  which  he  is  somewhat  deficient.  This  author  makes 
the  following  classification  of  the  books  of  the  i^ew  Testament : 
First,  writings  tmiversally  received  as  genuine,  or  those  whicli 
he  found  cited  by  ecclesiastical  authors,  from  the  first  century  to 
his  day,  as  undoubtedly  the  productions  of  Apostles,  or  Apostolic 
men,  i.  e.  the  companions  and  disciples  of  Apostles.  These  books 
are  the  Gospels  of  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and  John  ;  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  and  thii'teen  Epistles  of  Paul ;  also  the  first  Epistle 
of  John,  and  the  first  Epistle  of  Peter.  In  the  second  class,  or 
those  controverted  hy  some,  although  well  known  and  approved 

*  An  English  version  of  tliis  lii.story  by  C.  F.  Cruise,  has  been  published. 


8  THE  CONTROVERTED  BOOKS. 

hy  most  ecclesiastical  authors  as  (/efvuine,  are  the  following :  The 
Epistles  of  James  and  of  Jude,  the  second  Epistle  of  Peter,  and  the 
second  and  third  Epistles  of  John,  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
and  the  Revelation.* 

The  third  class  mentioned  by  him  comprises  books  that  claimed 
to  be  apostolic,  but  w^ere  imiversally  rejected  as  sjnirious.  These 
writings  were  forged  and  published  in  the  name  of  Apostles,  but 
they  were  miserable  compilations,  and  entirely  destitute  of  au- 
thority, inasmuch  as  they  were  not  cited  by  any  ancient  church- 
writers  as  apostolic  productions  ;  such  were  '  the  Acts  of  Peter,' 
'  the  Gospel  according  to  Peter,'  etc. 

Augustine,  Athanasius,  Jerome  and  Rufinus,  in  the  catalogues 
they  give  of  the  New  Testament,  regard  as  unimportant  this  class- 
ification made  by  Eusebius.  Indeed,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
fourth  century,  the  books  of  the  NeAV  Testament  now"  universally 
received  by  the  Protestant  churches,  w^ere  then  also  received  by 
the  church  in  general.  The  reason  of  this  remarkable  agreement 
of  oi^inion  as  to  the  canon  of  the  New  Testament  is,  most  likely, 
to  be  found  in  the  fact,  that  the  doubts  of  some  as  to  the  so-called 
controverted  books  (so  honestly  stated  by  the  father  of  church 
history)  were  discovered,  after  a  thoroi;gh  examination  into  the 
historical  evidence,  to  rest  on  no  solid  foundation. 

As  to  the  principles  by  which  the  ancients  Avere  guided  in  de- 
ciding on  the  genuineness  of  any  writing  claiming  to  be  apostolic, 
they  were  beyond  all  doubt,  in  the  main,  correct  and  sound.  Be- 
fore a  writing,  professing  to  be  composed  by  an  Apostle,  could 
be  publicly  read  in  the  churches  as  a  part  of  Holy  Scrijjture, 
the  fact  that  it  was  so  written,  was  estabUshed  by  external  or 
historical  evidence;  that  is,  by  undoubted  quotations  of  such 
writing  as  apostolic,  by  church  writers  from  the  first  century  to 
their  day.     Besides  this  external  evidence,  they  examined  also 

*  Eusebius  (Eccl.  Hist,  book  ?,,  chaps.  3  and  25,)  does  not  distinctly  place  the 
Revelation  and  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  among  the  controverted  books  ;  though 
ho  often  mentions  the  doubts  some  entertained  concerning  their  authors. 


THE  CONTROVERTED  BOOKS.  9 

the  internal.  They  brought  a  work  professing  to  be  apostolic  to 
the  touchstone  of  other  writings  universally  acknowledged  to  be 
from  the  Apostles,  in  order  to  see  wliether  the  same  great  lead- 
ing truths  were  maintained  by  both.  They  also  examined  in  the 
same  way  the  style  of  the  so-called  controverted  books.  But  in 
this  last  particular,  both  ancient  and  modern  writers  in  the  church 
have  been  much  too  dogmatic,  and  often  most  mistaken,  when 
most  positive  in  the  expression  of  their  opinions. 

With  respect  to  the  circumstances  which  led  some  to  doubt  of 
the  genuineness  of  the  controverted  books,  they  were  the  follow- 
ing:    (1.)  Doubts  arose  as  to  the  question  whether  certain  of 
these  books  Avere  written  by  Apostles,  or  by  others  of  the  same 
name.     This  applies  particularly  to  the  epistles  of  James  and  of 
Jude,  and  to  the  second  and  third  epistles  of  John.    Accordingly, 
Eusebins,  after  mentioning  2d  and  3d  John,  adds,  "  whetlier  they 
are  of  the  evangelist,  or  of  some  other  of  the  same  name."     (2.) 
Doubts  arose  in  the  minds  of  some  as  to  the  epistle  of  Jude  in 
particular,  owing  to  the  fact,  real  or  alleged,  that  he  quoted  from 
apocryphal  authors.     (3.)  Others  doubted  of  some  of  these  books 
from  pre-conceived  opinions,  or  doctrinal  prejudice;  paying  little 
or  no  attention  to  the  historical  evidence  in  their  favor ;  away  of 
procedure  altogether  unsound,  and  a  fruitful  source  of  error  to 
critics  even  to  this  day.     Matters  of  fact  must  not  be  settled  by 
our  philosophy  or  divinity,  but  by  historical  evidence.     It  Avas 
this  doctrinal  prejudice  that  led  some  to  doubt  of  the  Revelation, 
as  John's.     Their  pre-conceived  opinions  concerning  the  niillen- 
nium,  blinded  their  eyes  as  to  the  force  and  importance  of  the  very 
ancient  and  unequivocal  testimonies  in  favor  of  its  genuineness. 
(4.)  Doubts  also  arose  as  to  the  apostolic  origin  of  some  of  these 
books  from  a  difference  of  style,  real  or  supposed,  Avhcn  compar- 
ed with  other  writings  of  the  same  apostle,  universally  admitted 
to  be  genuine.     Hence  some  were  led  to  doubt  whether  Paul  was 
the  author  of  the  epistle  of  the  Hebrews,  and  whether  Peter  Avas 


10  THE  CONTROVERTED  BOOKS. 

the  author  of  the  second  epistle  ascribed  to  him,  and  claiming  to 
be  his. 

The  question  now  natui-ally  arises,  what  importance  should  be 
attached  to  doubts  as  to  these  books,  thus  originated  ?  Are  they 
sufficient  to  justify  us  in  rejecting  these  books  as  spurious?  In 
our  judgment  they  are  not.  (1.)  Neither  did  Eusebius  himself 
in  all  instances  deem  them  so.  He  undoubtedly,  for  example, 
received  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  as  Paul's.  Hence  he  says, 
giving  his  own  judgment,  "  The  epistles  of  Paul  are  fourteen,  all 
well  known  and  beyond  doubt."  (Book  3,  chap  3.)  (2.)  The 
books  called  by  him  controverted,  were  not  without  strong  his- 
torical evidence  in  their  favor,  but  they  had  not  that  full  evidence 
as  those  called  by  him  '  universally  received.'  The  evidence  was 
the  same  in  kind ;  it  only  differed  in  amount  and  degree ;  or, 
tnore  ancient  writers  had  testified  to  the  genuineness  of  the  one 
class  than  to  the  other.  This  is  manifest  from  his  own  express- 
ions. For,  speaking  of  the  controverted  books,  he  says,  "  Among 
the  controverted  books,  although  they  are  xi'ell  known  and  approv- 
ed hy  niany^''  etc.  And  again,  '•'  The  controverted,  although  they 
are  recognized  (i.  e.  as  genuine)  hy  tnost  ecclesiastical  writers.'''' 
(Book  3,  chap.  25.)  Here  is  his  testimony  to  the  fact  that  these 
books  were  quoted  as  genuine  by  most  of  the  old  church  writers  ; 
and  his  testimony  is  of  great  value,  since,  as  is  well  known,  he 
had  a  large  and  precious  library  to  consult.  (3.)  We  are  inclined 
to  suspect  that  those  persons  in  the  Anti-Nicene  church  who  hesi- 
tated about  the  authenticity  of  the  so-called  controverted  books, 
made  an  improper  use  of  a  right  distinction  between  apostles 
strictly  so  called,  and  apostolical  men.  Hence,  Origen  contend- 
ed that  God  only  could  tell  who  wrote  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
i.  e.  as  to  its  Greek  style  and  construction ;  though  he  unhesita- 
tingly admitted  that  the  thoughts  or  doctrines  contained  therein 
were  Pauline.  Now,  if  Paul  gave  all  the  leading  thoughts,  and 
Luke  or  Apollos  shaped  the  Greek  expressions  and  constniction, 
the  apostle  himself  would,  of  course  review  the  whole,  and  send 


THE  CONTROVERTED  BOOKS.  11 

it  to  tliose  addressed,  stamped,  with  his  own  approbation ;  and 
such  an  epistle  would  be  indeed  Paul's,  or  he  only  would  be  its 
proper  author.  Again,  if  the  epistle  of  Jude  be  not  a  composi- 
tion of  the  apostle  Jude,  it  should  not  for  that  reason  be  thrown 
out  of  the  number  of  inspired  books.  lie  calls  himself  "  a  ser- 
vant of  Jesus  Christ  and  brother  of  James."  No  one  can  prove 
that  this  brother  of  James  was  not  '  a  leading  man  among  the 
brethren,'  and  '  a  prophet,'  or  inspired  person ;  if  any  will  liave 
it  that  he  was  not  an  apostle,  in  the  strict  sense,  still  he  was  an 
apostolic  man,  a  companion  and  disciple  of  apostles,  a  prophet  or 
evangelist ;  and  inspiration  was  not  a  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  con- 
fined to  apostles  alone.  Apostles,  Prophets  and  Evangelists 
were  all  inspired,  though  the  apostles  received  the  Spirit  in  larger 
measure,  and  were  first  also  in  rank  or  authority.  (Compare  1 
Cor.  12  :  28-30  with  8-11  vs.  Eph.  4:11  and  3,  5.)  (4.)  There  is 
nothing  in  any  of  these  books  repugnant  to  the  apostolic  doctrine 
as  stated  in  the  books  '  universally  received';  but,  on  the  contrary, 
they  fully  agree  M'ith  them  in  the  great  leading  truths.  Thus  it 
appears,  not  only  that  the  internal  evidence  is  on  their  side,  but 
also  that  the  external  evidence  is  in  favor  of  their  authenticity, 
even  according  to  the  testimony  of  Eusebius  himself. 


§  2.  Historical  evidence  loith  respect  to  the  genuineness  of  the 
Epistle. 

The  question  is,  whether  this  second  epistle  was  truly  written 
by  the  apostle  Peter,  thq  author  of  the  first.  The  writer  of  the 
second  epistle  declares  it  in  a  way  that  cannot  be  misunderstood. 
2  Pet.  1:1,  and  3:1;  comp.  2  Pet.  1 :  16-18.  We  must  therefore 
either  receive  this  epistle  as  Peter's,  or  reject  it  as  a  forgery.  Let 
us  therefore  call  ancient  witnesses  before  us,  and  listen  with  an^ 
unprejudiced  mind  to  their  testimony. 


12  CLEMENT  OF  ROME. 

Clement  of  Kome,  A.  D.  70,  or  96. 

This  author  wrote  an  epistle  to  the  church  of  Corinth,  in  the 
name  of  the  church  of  Rome,  in  order  to  quell  the  dissensions 
and  party  spirit  then  raging  among  the  Corinthians.  In  it  he 
cites  by  name  Paul's  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  and  alludes 
to  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament,  generally  however  without 
any  marks  of  quotation ;  and  often  he  alludes  to  the  thought  more 
than  to  the  words. 

Thus  he  seems  to  allude  to  the  second  epistle  of  Peter.  (VII.*) 
"  Noah  preached  repentance^  and  they  toho  hearkened  v:ere  saved.'''' 
(IX.)  "  JSfoah — by  his  'tninistry  preached  regeneration  to  the 
workV  With  which  2  Pet.  2 :  5,  must  be  compared :  "  He  saved  " 
(guarded,  or  safely  kept)  "  Noah,  one  of  eight,  a  preacher  ofrigJit- 
eousness.''''  Some,  with  a  magisterial  air,  assert  that  Clement  sim- 
ply alludes  to  the  Old  Testament,  as  Davidsonf  and  others.  But 
where  in  the  book  of  Genesis,  or  in  any  part  of  the  Holy  Scripture, 
is  Noah  spoken  of  in  the  character  of  a  preacher  ?  The  preaching 
of  Noah  is  mentioned  in  Scripture  only  in  2  Pet.  2  :  5.  The  writer 
of  2  Peter  says  that  Noah  and  seven  others  were  saved :  Clem- 
ent, that  they  who  hearkened  unto  Noah  Avere  saved  ;  by  which 
he  means  the  family  of  Noah,  considering  them  as  persons  who 
believed  the  prophecy  concerning  the  coming  flood.  They,  also, 
both  call  Noah  a  preacher  to  the  Antediluvians ;  but  this  preach- 
ing is  mentioned  only  in  this  second  epistle.  These  coincidences 
are  striking  :  the  words  of  Clement  therefore  seem  to  be  a  mani- 
fest allusion  to  2  Pet.  2:5;  and,  if  so,  they  are  a  proof  that  Clem- 
ent and  the  church  of  Rome  received  ■  this  epistle  as  a  genuine 
epistle  of  Peter,  and  that,  too,  before  the  close  of  the  first  century. 

(XI.)  Clement  says,  "  Because  of  his  hospitality  and  piety  Lot 
was  saved  out  of  Sodom,  when  all  the  surrounding  region  was  con- 
demned by  fire  and  brimstone ;  the  Lord  maMng  it  very  manifest 

*  We  use  Ilefele's  Patrum  Apostolicorum  Opera,  3rd  edition. 
■j-  Introduction  to  New  Testament,  vol.  III. 


CLEMENT  OF  ROME.  ^^3 

tJiat  heforsal'es  not  those  lolio  hope  in  him  ;  and  on  the  other  hand^ 
that  those  who  turn  aside  he  appoints  to  punishment  and  tornxentP 

2  Pet.  2  :  6,  7,  9.  "  And  consuming  the  cities  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  he  condemned  with  an  overthrow,  making  them  an 
ensample  to  those  who  shoiddlivein  impiety.  But  delivered  just 
Lot,  vexed  with  the  filthy  conversation  of  the  wicked.  Tlie  Lord 
knotcs  hoio  to  deliver  the  pious  out  of  trial,  and  to  keep  the  un- 
just for  the  day  of  judgment  to  he  punished^ 

Clement  here  alludes  to  the  second  epistle  of  Peter,  according 
to  his  usual  way  ;  that  is,  he  refers  to  the  sentiment  more  than  to 
the  expression.  Both  writers  not  only  mention  the  same  facts,  but 
they  also  draw  the  same  inference  from  them  with  regard  to  God's 
sparing  mercy  towards  the  righteous,  and  his  retributive  justice 
towards  the  wicked.  Clement's  allusion  may  be  to  Gen.  18  :  23- 
25,  but  the  form  of  his  expressions  makes  it  as  probable  that 
the  second  epistle  of  Peter  is  referred  to. 

It  is  best  perhaps,  to  suppose  the  allusion  to  be  both  to  the  nar- 
rative in  Genesis,  and  to  the  second  chapter  of  this  second  epistle ; 
for  Clement,  immediately  after  the  citation  above  given,  S2)caks 
of  Lot's  wife  as  having  an  entirely  difterent  disposition  from  her 
husband,  and  of  her  signal  punishment,  and  then  adds  :  "  In 
order  that  all  may  know,  that  they  who  are  double-minded  and 
distrustful  of  the  power  of  God,  are/br  condemnation  and  for 
an  ensample  to  all  generations:  dq -/.pqia  xat.  ei':  ffrj/ietuxriv  Tzafrai-: 
TciJ'T  yevzucq  ybovTai.  In  this  clause  there  is  a  manifest  allusion  to 
2  Pet.  2 :  6.  Clement  also  seems  to  allude  to  2  Pet.  1 :  9,  (IIL) 
where  he  speaks  of  each  one  of  those  addressed  as  forgetful  of 
his  christian  duties  and  as  dim  or  short-sighted  in  his  faith:  h  r^ 
r f<T7c£  aoTOi)  dfj.jj/.u(v-rj(Tac. 

(VIII.)  "The  ministers  of  the  Grace  of  God  spake  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  concerning  repentance ;  yea,  even  the  Lord  of  all 
himself  spake  of  repentance  with  an  oath :  As  I  live,  saith  the 
Lord,  I  will  not  the  death  of  the  sinner,  as  his  repentance." 
Ezek.  33  :   11.     In  this  chapter  Clement  also  cites  Isa.  1  :  10-20, 


14'  POLYCARP. 

and  then  adds  the  followhig  Avovds :  Uoyza-:  oov  rob-:  dyarcrjrod'- 
auTou  fiou^.ofievo';  /jiiravot'ac  iitTaffyeb,  iffzyjpt^e  roT  7:avru7.paTopcxuj, 
[iouk-qp-art  aurou,  i.  e.,  "  He,  therefore,  by  his  almighty  will  con- 
firmed it,"  (that  is,  the  great  truth  relating  to  his  grace  and 
mercy  to  those  who  repent,  Ezek.  33  :  11,)  '•'•willing  that  all  his 
beloved partaJce  of  repentance.^'' 

2  Pet.  3:9.  "  The  Lord  is  long-suffering  toward  tis,  not 
loilling  that  any  perish^  hut  that  all  come  to  repentanceP  Here 
the  writer  of  this  second  epistle  addresses  "  the  beloved."  (8  v.) 
And  does  not  Clement,  in  the  clause  italicised,  allude  to  2  Pet. 
3  :  9,  according  to  his  usual  method  ?  Clement  seems  to  have 
understood  this  portion  of  2  Pet.  as  referring  to  the  elect  alone, 
and  that  their  repentance  was  made  certain  by  the  gracious  de- 
cree or  will  of  the  Almighty.  This  is  on  the  supposition,  that  the 
participle  used  by  Clement  expresses  a  reason ;  and  thus  consid- 
ered, the  translation  is  as  follows  : — "  He  hath  established  it  by 
liis  almighty  will,  inasmuch  as  he  is  wilhng  that  all  his  beloved 
partake  of  repentance." 

POLYCAEP    OF    SmYENA,  ABOUT  A.  D.  108. 

He  wrote  an  epistle  to  the  church  of  Philippi,  which  is  every- 
M'here  tinged  with  expressions  derived  from  various  books  of  the 
New  Testament.  He  makes  an  exj^ress  reference  to  Paul's 
Epistle  to  the  Philippians,  and  often  quotes  from  the  first  Epistle 
of  Peter,  but  there  is  no  direct  quotation  from  the  second  Epstle. 

(III.)  "  I  did  not,  brethren,  take  it  on  myself  to  write  these 
things  to  you  concerning  righteousness  ;  but  ye  yourselves  have 
urged  me  thereto.  For  neither  I,  nor  any  one  like  me,  can  come 
uj)  to  the  wisdom  of  the  blessed  and  renowned  Paul,  who,  when 
he  was  among  you,  in  the  presence  of  the  men  then  livmg,  taught 
accurately  and  surely  the  word  of  truth,  and  who  when  absent, 
wrote  you  an  epistle,  or  epistles,"  (6/jt?v  eypa^'tv  IruamXa^*)     Here 

*  See  Lardner's  Credibility,  &c.,  Part  II.,  Chap.  VI. 


POLYCARP.  15 

Polycarp  disclaims  all  undue  authority  over  tliose  addressed  ;  he 
modestly,  as  a  teacher  of  Christ's  disciples,  takes  his  proper 
place  at  the  footstool  of  the  apostle.  He  says  that  he,  and  others 
like  him,  can  never  attain  to  that  icisdom  which  Paul  exhibited. 
Now,  Avhat  does  Polycarp  mean  by  PciuVs  loisdom  as  exhibited 
in  this  Epistle  to  the  Philippians,  and  other  Pauline  epistles  ? 
He  refers  to  the  fact  that  Paul  was  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
"  I  am  not  inspired,  neither  are  others  like  me ;  and  hence  we  can- 
not attain  to  the  Avasdom  of  Paul."  Here,  in  our  judgment, 
there  is  an  allusion  both  to  Eph.  3  :  4,  "  3Iy  understanding  in 
the  mystery  of  Christ  y"  and  to  2  Pet.  3  :  15,  "  Our  beloved  brother 
Paul,  according  to  the  wisdom  given  unto  him,  wrote — ."  And 
the  allusion  is  more  direct  to  the  latter  passage  than  to  the  for- 
mer ;  for  Paul,  in  Eph.  3  :  4,  uses  the  word  auvzatq,  but  in  2  Pet., 
and  in  Polycarp  it  is  aofia. 

Let  us  call  Polycarp  to  the  stand  once  more.  (V.)  "  The 
young  men  should  be  blameless  in  all  things  ;  above  all,  taking 
care  of  their  chastity,  and  leading  themselves  as  with  a  bridle 
from  all  evil.  For  it  is  good  to  be  driven  cnoay  from  the  lusts 
that  are  in  the  xoorld ;  because  every  lust  wars  against  the 
spirit." 

Polycarp  once,  when  citing  from  the  Gospels,  says  : — (II.) 
"  Remembering  what  the  Lord  said,  teaching,  Judge  not,  that 
ye  be  not  judged,"  etc.  And  since  he  was  writing  to  the  Philip- 
pians, it  was  perfectly  natural  to  speak  expressly  of  Paul's 
Epistle  to  them,  as  he  does.  But  although,  in  Polycarp's  very 
brief  letter,  he  often  cites  from  1  Pet.,  yet  he  never  mentions  him 
by  name.  A  si>ecimen  of  his  mode  of  citing  from  this  apostle  is 
given  above.  It  is  there  introduced  by  on,  or  "  because."  (He, 
however,  quotes  from  1  Pet.  without  any  formula  of  citation 
whatever,  as  in  L,  II.) 

The  reference  to  1  Pet.  2  :  11,  all  will  readily  admit.  But  is 
there  not,  in  the  clause  italicised,  an  allusion  to  2  Pet.  1:4? 
"  Having  fled  from  the  corruption  in  the  world  in  hcst.^''     (Gr.) 


16  POLYCARP. 

The  expressions,  indeed,  are  not  exactly  the  same,  but  the 
thought  is.  Polycarp  is  enforcing  the  exhortation  to  chastity, 
and  there  is  nothing  improbable  in  considering  him  to  allude 
to  2  Pet.  1  :  4.  He  introduces  his  reference  to  that  clause,  the 
sense  of  which  he  gives,  by  "  for,"  or  yap.  Thus  also  in  chapter 
VII :  "  For  whoever  does  not  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come 
in  the  flesh  is  an  antichrist."  (1  Jno.  4 :  3.)  In  2  Pet.  1  :  4,  the 
reference,  in  the  last  clause,  is  to  bodily  j^urity  likewise ;  comp. 
2  Pet.  2  :  18,  19,  20.  Besides,  Polycarp's  expressions  should  be 
particularly  noticed :  zo  wmyM-zzaOai  (=to  be  beaten  or  forced 
back,  to  he  driven  away^  aizb  rmv  l-iOuixiwv  twv  Iv  zu)  /.oaiJM., 
[=from  the  lusts  that  are  in  the  world.)  Now,  to  be  driven 
away  from  these  lusts,  and  to  flee  from  them,  or  to  drive  oneself 
away  from  them,  are  not  very  different ;  one  writer  uses  the 
active  voice,  and  the  other  the  passive  or  middle  ;  the  verb  used 
is,  indeed,  different,  but  the  sense  is  substantially  the  same.  "We 
think,  therefore,  that  Polycarj^'s  allusion  to  2  Pet.  1  :  4,  is  highly 
probable. 

"  Whoever,"  writes  Polycarp,  (§  VIII.,)  "  perverts  [fiedodeurj) 
the  oracles  of  the  luord  to  his  own  lusts,  and  says  that  there  is 
neither  resurrection  nor  judgment,  he  is  the  first  born  of  Satan." 
By  "  oracles  of  the  Lord,"  the  New  Testament  is  meant.  For  it 
is  agreeable  to  his  manner  to  call  our  Saviour  "  the  Lord,"  and 
"  our  Lord  ;"  as  in  I.,  II.,  IV.,  V.  And  in  §  XII.,  we  have  these 
words  :  "  I  trust  that  ye  are  well  exercised  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, ...  as  in  them  it  is  said,  '  Be  ye  angry  and  sin 
not ;'  and,  '  Let  not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your  wrath.'  "  These 
prohibitions  are  found  together  only  in  Eph.  4  :  26.  (Compare 
the  first  quotation,  above  given.)  And  any  one  who  examines 
carefully  the  epistle  of  Polycarp  will  be  astonished  at  the  number 
of  allusions  and  citations  contained  in  it,  taken  from  various 
books  of  the  New  Testament ;  and  will  thereby  discover  clear 
evidence  of  the  very  early  collection  of  the  books  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament, as  Scriptural  and  canonical. 


BARNABAS,  HERMAS,  AND  IGNATIUS.  17 

Barnabas,  Hekmas,  and  Ignatius. 

Tlie  other  so-called  Apostolic  Fathers,  viz. :  Barnabas,  Hermas, 
and  Ignatius,  we  pass  by,  because  no  allusions  to,  or  citations  from 
2  Pet.  are  found  in  them  that  are  decisive.  The  epistle  of  Bar- 
nabas was,  no  doubt,  written  in  the  second  century,  by  some  be- 
liever in  Christ  so  uamed;  but  certainly  not  by  Barnabas,  the 
companion  and  co-worker  Avith  Paul.  It  is,  in  our  judgment,  but 
a  flimsy  composition,  unhappily  distinguished  by  trifling  allego- 
rical interpretations.  "  The  Shepherd  "  of  Hernias  is  a  sort  of 
pious  fiction,  or  religious  novel,  of  the  same  age  ;  from  the  nature 
of  his  work,  it  was  not  easy  for  him  to  employ  direct  citation. 
This  work  is  inferior  even  to  that  of  the  so-called  Barnabas  ;  and 
whether  we  look  at  it  from  a  literary,  moral,  or  theological  point 
of  view,  we  hesitate  even  to  consider  it  milk  fit  for  babes,  (as 
some  in  the  time  of  Eusebius  seem  to  have  done,*)  but  rather  as 
a  goblet,  in  which  there  are  a  few  drops  of  milk,  diluted  witli 
much  water — and  sometimes  with  something  worse.  With  re- 
spect to  the  so-called  epistles  of  Ignatius,  it  would  not  be  honest  to 
quote  anything  from  them,  either  from  the  shorter  recension  in 
Greek,  or  from  Cureton's  edition ;  and  that  because  the  labors  of 
Pearson,  Cureton,  and  other  leai'ned  men,  have  not  demonstrated 
the  genuineness  of  either  edition.  A  thick  cloud  still  hangs  over 
their  authenticity,  which  we  hope,  however,  wiU  before  long  be 
dispelled. 

It  should  excite  no  surprise  that  there  are  no  more  allusions  to 
2  Pet.  in  the  Apostolic  Fathers  ;  for  their  writings  which  remain 
are  few  in  number,  small  in  size,  and  practical  in  their  aim ;  their 
design  being,  not  to  give  catalogues  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  New 
Testament,  but  to  incite  to  love  and  holy  living. 

We  proceed  now  to  the  Apologetic  Fathers  of  this  century,  or 

*  E.  H.  III.  3. 


18  JUSTIN  MARTYR. 

the  apologists,  who  defended  Christianity  against  the  assaults  of 
its  enemies,  whether  Jews  or  Heathen. 


Justin  Martyr,  about  A,  D.  140. 

The  quotations  which  follow  are  taken  from  his  dialogue  with 
TrypTio,  the  Jew,  (Ed.  Robert  Stephens,  Paris,  1551,  pp.  88  and 
89.) 

2  Pet.  3:  8-10.  "But,  beloved,  be  not  ignorant  of  this  one 
thing,  that  one  day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a 
thousand  years  as  one  day.  The  Lord  delays  not,  and  the  day 
of  the  Lord  shall  come,"  etc. 

Justin :  "  We  also  understand  the  saying  that  the  Lord's 
day  is  as  a  thousand  years,  leads  to  this."  Now,  for  what  pur- 
pose does  Justin  cite  this  saying  ?  To  prove  what  he  conceives 
to  be  the  true  doctrine  of  the  millennium,  as  stated  in  holy  Scrip- 
ture, as  will  be  evident  from  a  part  of  the  foregoing  and  follow- 
ing context.  (The  jDoint  before  us  is,  not  whether  Justin's  views 
on  this  subject  are  true  or  false ;  but  Avhether  he  cites  .2  Pet.  as 
Scripture.)  "  Tell  me  truly,"  says  Typho,  "  Do  you  [Christians] 
confess  that  tbis  place,  this  same  Jerusalem,  is  to  be  rebuilt,  and 
that  your  people  are  to  be  gathered  together,  and  be  joyful  with 
the  Christ,  together  with  the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  and  with 
those  of  our  race,  and  the  proselytes,  before  ye  expect  your 
Christ  to  come  ?"  To  which  Justin  replies  :  "  I  am  not  such  a 
wretch  as  to  say  one  thing  and  mean  another.  Accordingly,  I 
confessed  to  thee  formerly  that  I,  for  my  part,  truly  think  so, 
and  many  others  ;  as  you  [Jews]  also  well  know  that  this  shall 
come  to  pass.  But,  again,  I  signified  to  thee  that  many  of  those 
who  are  Christians  of  the  pitre  and  godly  opinion  do  not  acknowl- 
edge tJiis.^     For  I  showed  thee  that  some,  indeed,  are  called 

*  Some  think  the  true  reading  is :  "  Christians  not  of  the  pure  and  godly 
opinion."  "We  follow  the  text  of  Stephens,  as  it  concerns  not  the  present  argu- 
ment. 


JUSTIN  MARTYR.  19 

Christians,  but  are  atheists  and  ungodly  heretics,  since  tliey  teach 
things  in  all  respects  blasphemous,  atheistical,  and  unintelligible. 
But  I,  and  whoever  are,  in  all  respects,  orthodox  Christians,  know 
that  there  is  to  be  both  a  resurrection  of  the  iiesh,  and  a  thous- 
and years'  (residence)  in  Jerusalem,  built,  and  adorned,  and 
enlarged ;  as  the  prophets  Ezekiel,  Isaiah,  and  others  confess  :  for 
thus  Isaiah  sjioke  concerning  this  inillenniwn.''''  The  passage 
here  cited  by  Justin  is  Isa.  65  :  17-25,  on  which  he  makes  a  few 
i-emarks,  and  then  adds  the  words  above  translated  :  <roi/5jza//£v  /.at 
To  etpTjiiivir^^  ore  rjixipa  y.opiau  w f  yilia  Iztj,  sh  zuuzo  (Tuvdyet,  i.  e.,  "  "We 
also  understand  the  saying  that  the  Lord's  day  is  as  a  thousand 
years,"  conducts  to  this :  i.  e.  We  tilso  nnderstand  this  scrip- 
tural expression*  as  designed,  with  other  passages,  to  prove  this 
millennium. 

That  this  is  Justin's  meaning,  is  clear  from  what  immediately 
follows:  "And  a  man  from  timong  us,  named  John,  one  of  the 
apostles  of  the  Christ,  in  the  Revelation  made  to  him,  prophesied 
that  the  believers  in  our  Christ  shall  live  a  thousand  j^ears  in 
Jerusalem  ;  and  after  that  shall  be  the  general,  and,  to  speak 
brieily,  the  eternal  resurrection  and  judgment  of  all  together  ; 
which  our  Lord  also  said."     Justin  then  cites  Luke  20  :  35,  36. 

It  has  often  been  said  that  Justin  simply  refers  to  Ps.  90 :  4. 
That  passage  of  the  Psalmist,  probably,  was  in  Justin's  memoi-y, 
when  he  wrote  the  cita,tion  first  given.  But  to  say  that  he 
designed  especially  to  allude  to  it,  cannot  be  demonstrated. 
For,  although  the  thought  is  the  same,  the  expressions,  in  the 
Psalm  are  very  different.  "  For  a  thousand  years  in  thine  eyes 
are  as  yesterday  tchen  it  is  passed^  and  as  a  watch  in  the 
night ;"  i.  e.,  "  A  thousand  years  are  in  thine  eyes  what  yester- 
day, or  a  niglit  watch,  is,  in  ours."    (Ilengstenberg  in  loc.)     Jus- 

*  That  Justin  uses  "<>  siprj/Jiivov  {=zwhat  is  said,  or  the  saying,)  with  refer- 
ence to  what  is  written  in  Scripture,  or  to  denote  a  Scriptural  expression,  is  lui- 
questionable ;  for  after  citinp;  Isa.  65  :  17-25,  he  adds :  "  This  saying,"  (the  same 
Greek  phrase,)  "  then,  he  uttered  in  these  words."  Paul,  also,  does  tlie  same, 
Rom.  4:  18. 


20  THEOPHILUS  OF  ANTIOCH. 

tin's  quotation,  then,  is  decidedly  more  conformable  to  the  words 
in  this  second  epistle.  Both  Justin  and  the  writer  of  2  Pet. 
refer  to  Isa.  65  :  17-25.  (2  Pet.  3  :  13.)  But,  if  it  be  not  cer- 
tain that  Justin  designed  to  refer  to  Ps.  90 :  4,  then  he  must 
allude  to  2  Pet.  3  :  8-10.  For  he  cites  this  saying  as,  in  his 
judgment,  contributing  to  prove  the  millennium  spoken  of  by 
Isaiah  and  other  prophets,  by  the  apostle  John  in  the  Revelation, 
and  by  Christ  in  the  gospel  of  Luke,  It  is  clear,  then,  that  Jus- 
tin cites  this  saying  as  of  equal  authority  with  other  inspired 
writings,  and  hence  as  scriptural ;  and  that  he  takes  it  from  the 
second  epistle  of  Peter.  And  the  testimony  of  this  learned  and 
inquisitive  man  is  of  great  value.  The  same  words  have  also 
been  quoted  by  Irenmus^  mid  Clement  of  Alexandria.  (See 
Hug's  Introd.  N.  T.,  by  Fosdick,  §  IVO.) 

{SemiscNs  "  Justin  Martyr,"  translated  by  J.  E.  Ryland,  is  an 
interesting  and  useful  work,  and  an  excellent  introduction  to  the 
study  of  this  Apologist.) 

(.  Theophilus  of  Antioch. 

H 

He  wrote  "Three  books  to  Autolycus,"  about  A.  D.  180. 
This  work  is  designed  for  heathen,  and  refutes  the  calumnies 
as  to  the  doctrine  and  life  of  Christians,  then  imputed  to  them  by 
the  gentiles.  In  a  work  of  this  sort  many  quotations  from  the 
New  Testament  are  not  to  be  expected.  Yet  he  has  cited,  as 
Holy  Scripture,  Matt.,  Jno.,  Rom.,  1  Tim.,  and  Tit.  For  instance, 
the  gospel  of  John  is  thus  cited :  "  The  Holy  Scriptures  teach  us, 
and  all  the  sjiirit-moved,  among  whom  John  says :  '  In  the  be- 
ginning was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,'  showing, 
that  at  the  first,  God  was  alone,  and  in  him  the  Word.  Then  he 
says  :  '  And  the  Word  was  God.  All  things  were  made  by  him, 
and  without  him  was  not  any  thing  made.'  " 

There  is,  also,  in  this  author,  undoubted  allusions  to  other  books 
of  the  New  Testament ;   and  whether,  in  the  following  para- 


THEOPHILUS  OF  ANTIOCH.  21 

graphs,  he  alludes  to  2  Pet.,  is  the  question  now  to  be  examined. 
"  Men  of  God  and  spirit-moved  hy  tlie  Holy  Ghost,  and  hence 
prophets,  inspired  and  7nade  toise  hy  God  himself ,'  they  were 
God-taught,  holy  and  righteous.  Wherefore  they  obtained  the 
honor  to  become  the  organs  of  God.  (  This  passage  is  cited  most 
fully  by  Lardner ;  also  by  Hug  and  Davidson.)  Iheu/ianxpopot 
TZ'^soimTo-;  uyiou,  says  Theophilus,  and  in  2  Pet.  1  :  21,  we  have 
oTTrt  Tzveu/j-aro-:  ayioo  <pzp6ntvot.  And  Theophilus,  in  another  place, 
says,  that  "  the  commands  of  the  prophets  and  writers  of  the 
gospel  are  throughout  concoi'dant,  because  all  the  spirit-moved 
spake  by  the  spirit  of  God.''''* 

These  passages  of  Theophilus  allude  to  and  paraphrase  2  Pet. 
1 :  20,  21,  and  3  :  15.  Both  writers  speak  of  the  men  of  God  or 
prophets,  and  as  holy  or  consecrated ;  both  say  that  such  men  were 
movedf  (borne  along,  or  powerfully  excited)  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Both,  also,  speak  of  inspiration  under  the  notion  of  wisdom  di- 
vinely given  to  men.  Such  allusions  cannot  be  accidental ;  they 
are  designed. 

Again :  "  God's  arrangement,  then,  is  this,  viz.,  "  His  word., 
shining  as  a  lamp  in  a  confined  room.,  has  enlightened  men 
everywhere  ; "  (strictly,  "  has  enhghtened  the  earth  under 
heaven  ;"  COmp.  Col.  1  :  23.) — 0  Xoyo-;  abzoo  tpaivm.)  uxj-zp  Xoyvoz 
iv  oixT/jia-i  aoviyaiiho) — .      (Lib.  II.) 

2  Pet.  1  :  19.  "The  prophetic  loord,  to  which  ye  do  Avell  tak- 
ing heed,  as  to  a  lamp  shining  ifi  a  dismal  place : — ■wt  Xoyvut 
<paivovri  iv  auyfxr^pa   ro-uj — . 

Neither  Theophilus  nor  the  writer  of  2  Pet.,  compares  God's 
word  to  a  lamp,  simply,  as  Davidson  assumes  ;  nor  is  the  simile 
used  in  reference  to  a  traveler  out  of  doors  at  night,  as  in  Ps. 


*  Cited  by  Godfrey  Less  in  his  excellent  work  on  "  The  Authenticity  of  tlio 
New  Testament,"  translated  by  R.  Kingdon. 

\  See  Acts  2:  2,  and  27  :  15,  17,  in  the  original.  This  verb,  applied  to  the 
action  of  the  Spirit  on  the  minds  of  the  prophets  is,  in  the  New  Testament, 
found  only  in  2  Pet. 


^2  CLEMENT  OF  ALEXANDRIA. 

119:  105;  but  T/teopMlics  employs  it  with  respect  to  a  lamp 
shining  in  a  hoiise,  or  rooni^  or  prison  y  most  likely,  the  latter, 
as  the  same  noun  is  used,  Acts  12:  7.  (Comp.  Lxihe  11:  33.) 
Now,  Theophilus'  "  confined  room,"  or  "  secured  house,"  and 
Peter's  "  dismal  place,"  (dungeon,  or  prison)  are  not  very  dilFer- 
eut  in  expression,  while  the  thought  is  identical.  Such  a  pointed 
and  peculiar  allusion,  such  a  modified  quotation,  or  paraphrase, 
indicates  quite  clearly  that  this  second  epistle  was  known  and 
esteemed  as  a  part  of  Scripture,  in  this  age,  at  the  metropolis  of 
Syria,  by  this  eminent  servant  of  Christ.  And  we  have  no  rea- 
son to  suppose  that  the  church  at  Antioch,  over  whieh  he  pre- 
sided, was  of  another  opinion. 


Clement  of  Alexakdeia,  about  A.  D.  194.       • 

This  author's  principal  extant  works  are  "  The  Pjedagogue,''' 
and  the  "  Stromata.'^  But  there  is  a  lost  work  of  his  called 
" Hypotyposes,"  ("Institutions,"  Outlines,  or  Sketches,)  often 
mentioned  by  Eusebius.  In  his  remaining  works,  2  Pet.  is  not 
expressly  mentioned.  But  the  point  now  before  us  is,  whether 
Clement  was  ignorant  of  this  epistle. 

Eusebius  says :  "  In  his  Institutions,  to  speak  briefly,  Clement 
gives  short  explications*  of  all  the  canonical  Scriptures,  not  otnit- 
ting  the  controverted :  I  mean  the  epistle  of  Jude,  and  the  kest 
OF  THE  Catholic  (or,  general)  epistles.  Also  the  epistle  of 
Barnabas,  and  the  book  called  the  Revelation  of  Peter.  The 
epistle  to  the  Ilehreios,  he  says,  xoas  written  by  Paul,  in  the 
Hebrew  tongue  ;  but  that  Luke  carefully  translated  it,  and  pub- 
lished it  among  the  Greeks,"  etc.     (E.  II.  VI.  14.) 

Again:  (E.  H.  VI.  13,)  "In  the  Stromata,  he  makes  use  of 
testimonies  from  the  Controverted  Scrij^tures ;  also  from  that  book 

*  Or,  "abridged  accounts:"  i7:i~s-fi7j/j.iva^  dir/yr^ffsi-:. 


CLEMENT  OF  ALEXANDRIA.  23 

called  the  "Wisdom  of  Solomon,  and  that  of  Jesus  the  Son  of 
Sirach ;  also  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  that  of  Barnabas,  and 
Clement,  [of  Rome,]  and  the  epistle  of  JudeP  From  the  fact  tliat 
Clement  of  Alexandria,  quoted,  or  made  use  of  testimonies  from 
ecclesiastical  authors,  (or  even  from  apocryphal  works,)  it  does 
not  follow  that  he  considered  them  all  equally  authoritative. 
Hodge,  in  his  commentaries,  not  only  makes  use  of  testimonies 
from  the  sacred  writers,  but  also  from  German  and  American 
theologians  ;  yet  he  does  not  thereby  put  them  all  together  in 
the  same  category. 

Photius  of  Constantinople,  who  lived  in  the  ninth  century,  and 
was  a  learned  divine,  seems  to  have  had  Clement's  Institutions 
in  his  possession.  His  testimony  is  as  follows:  (Cod.  CIX.,  cited 
by  Lardner,  Vol.  H.,  p.  235,)  "  The  Institutions  of  Clement  con- 
tain discourses  on  some  passages  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
which  he  also  explains  and  interprets  in  a  brief  and  summary 
manner."  Again :  "  The  whole  scope  of  his  Institutions  seems 
to  be  an  interpretation  of  Genesis,  Exodus,  the  Psalms,  Paul's 
epistles,  and  the  Catholic  epistles^  and  Ecclesiasticus." 

It  seems  to  us,  too  evident  to  be  denied,  that  Clement  of 
Alexandria  was  acquainted  with  all  the  Catholic  epistles ;  for 
how  could  he  Avrite  brief  notes  on  them,  or  give  abridged  narra- 
tions of  them,  if  wholly  ignorant  of  them  ?*  He  must,  therefore, 
have  known  this  second  epistle.  But  what  authority  he  gave  to 
it,  is  somewhat  uncertain,  for  no  decision  can  be  had,  except  by 
inference.! 

Davidson  cites  a  passage  from  Illppolytus^  which  he  considers 
as  an  expansion  of  2  Pet.  1 :  21.     (Vol.  HI.,  p.  410.) 


*  Lardner's  chapter  on  Clement,  and  Davidson's  cliaptcr  on  the  authenticity 
of  2  Pet.,  should  be  consulted  and  compared  on  this  subject.  "We  pass  by  Cas- 
siodorius,  as  his  testimony  is  confused. 

f  Since  Clement  received  the  epistle  of  Jude  as  inspired,  it  seems  natural  to 
infer  that  he  would  so  account  2  Tet. 


24  ORIGEN. 

^.  Oeigen,  about  a.  D.  230. 

Eusebius  (VI.  25)  quotes  from  Origen  thus :  "  But  Peter 
.  .  .  has  left  one  epistle  universally  received.  Grant  also  the 
second^  for  on  this  there  is  some  doubt.*  Origen,  in  this  context, 
speaks  of  the  gospel  of  John,  the  Revelation^  and  his  first  epistle, 
as  universally  received ;  admitted  by  all  preceding  ancients  as 
works  of  that  apostle ;  but  all  do  not  testify  to  the  genuineness 
of  2  and  3  John,  though  many  do.  And  of  1  Pet.,  all,  he  con- 
fesses, received  it  as  genuine ;  of  2  Pet.,  he  says,  its  genuineness 
vi^as  doubted  of  in  his  day  ;  but  that  he  himself  is  disposed  to  re- 
ceive it  as  the  work  of  the  apostle. 

We  cite  these  words  of  Origen  to  show  that  this  second 
epistle  was  well  known  in  his  time  ;  that  it  had  come  doAvn  from 
earlier  times,  and  that  it  Avas  then,  as  now,  ascribed  to  the 
apostle  Peter,  and  to  no  one  else  ;  and,  moreover,  that  this  critic 
of  the  ancient  church,  did  not  see  any  good  reason  to  reject  it  as  a 
spurious  writing ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  was  ready  and  willing  to 
receive  it  as  Peter's.  "  Let  the  second,  also,  be  received  as 
Peter's :  what  is  there  in  the  epistle  to  lead  any  to  reject  it  ? 
Still  it  is,  with  some,  a  disputed  question."  This  we  suppose  to 
be  the  pith  and  point  of  Origen's  words  above  cited,  and  it  is 
probable  that  he  received  it  as  authentic.  It  is  no  valid  objec- 
tion to  this,  to  say  that  2  Pet.  is  not  quoted  in  his  extant  Greek 
works,  since  we  have  not  all  his  writings ;  and  here  we  have  his 
testimony  concerning  it,  from  one  who  was  a  warm  admirer  of 
Origen.  His  deposition  here  given  is  certainly  in  its  favor ;  for 
he  mentions  the  doubts  of  others,  not  his  own.  Besides,  he  no- 
where rejects  it  as  si^urious. 


*  The  original  of  the  last  clause  is,  aixcpi^akhzai  yap.,  =  "for  it  is  doubted 
of,"  i.  e.,  by  others. 


FIRMILIA.N.  25 


FlRMILIAN    OF    C.ESAREA,    IN    CaPPADOCIA,    ABOUT   A.  D.    265. 

Since  Firmilian  lived  in  one  of  tlie  five  provinces  of  Asia 
Minor,  he  must  have  been  well  able  to  trace  the  testimony  of 
writers  and  chm'ches  there  as  to  Peter's  epistle,  or  epistles,  \ip  to 
the  age  of  the  apostles.  In  his  letter  to  Cyprian  of  Carthage,  the 
only  portion  of  his  writings  remaining,  is  the  following  jjassage  : 
"  And,  moreover,  abusing  the  blessed  apostles  Peter  and  Paul, 
as  if  they  had  taught  this  doctrine ;  they  loho  in  their  epistles 
have  cursed  heretics,  and  ccdmonished  tis  to  avoid  them.''''  Adhuc 
etiam  infamans  Petrum  et  Paulum  beatos  apostolos  quasi  hoc 
ipsi  tradiderint ;  qui  in  epistolis  suis  haBreticos  execrati  sunt,  et 
ut  eos  evitemus  monuerunt.  Here  we  have  an  accurate  descrip- 
tion of  one  great  design  of  Peter's  second  epistle,  lohich  Firmilian 
recognizes  as  gemdne ;  for  he  declares  that  Peter,  as  well  as 
Paul,  has  cursed  heretics,  and  admonished  us  to  avoid  them.  But 
Peter  has  not  told  us  the  doom  of  false  teachers  in  his  first 
epistle,  but  only  in  the  second,  2  Pet.  2:  1-17.  He  also  ex- 
expressly  states  that  his  design  is  to  put  us  on  our  guard  against 
them,  2  Pet.  3:17.  It  is  also  very  probable  that  the  churches 
in  Cappadocia,  and  other  i^rovinces  in  Asia  Minor,  agreed  with 
Firmilian  in  tiiis  matter. 

Lardner  wishes  that  we  had  Firmilian's  letter  in  the  original 
Greek  ;  but  we  have  no  reason  to  be  suspicious  of  the  translation 
we  have  of  it  in  Latin,  as  he  himself  and  other  learned  men  ad- 
mit. Neither  does  it  follow  from  the  fact  that  Cyprian  does  not 
quote  2  Pet.  in  his  Avorks,  that  Firmilian  did  not  receive  it.  His 
testimony  above  given,  shows  that  he  did,  and,  as  Peter's.  And 
Firmilian,  living  in  Cappadocia,  had  better  opportunities  of 
inquiring  into,  and  judging  of  its  author,  than  Cyprian  of  Car- 
t  ha  ire. 


26  METHODIUS. 


'V  Methodius  of  Olympus  in  Lycia,  about  A.  D.  290. 


According  to  Jerome,  Methodius  was  "  first  bishop  of  Olympus 
in  Lycia,  and  afterwards,  of  Tyre."  (De  vir.  ill.  83.)  Socrates, 
the  ecclesiastical  historian,  mentions  him  as  "bishop  of  the  city 
called  Olympus  in  Lycia."  (VI.  13.)  Lardner  thinks  that  his  re- 
moval to  Tyre  is  not  very  probable,  since  such  removals  or  trans- 
lations of  bishops  were  not  then  common.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
Ave  have  two  witnesses  to  the  fact  that  he  lived  for  a  while  in  one 
of  the  provinces  of  Asia  Minor. 

This  author's  canon  of  the  New  Testament,  probably,  w^as  the 
same  as  that  of  the  Protestant  churches  now ;  for  he  expressly 
recognizes,  as  authentic,  the  four  Gospels  and  the  Acts,  the 
epistles  of  Paul,  and  that  to  the  Hebrews  as  this  apostle's,  and  the 
Revelation  as  the  work  of  the  apostle  John.  He  calls  Christ "  the 
chief  shepherd,"  1  Pet.  5 :  4,  and  he  seems  also  to  allude  to  the 
second  epistle. 

"  For  the  whole  world,  ...  deluged  with  fire,  shall  be 
Mimed  for  its  ^9i<r//ifca^/o?i  and  reneioal  ;*  -pot  -/.dOapatv  xa\ 
avaxaiviaiiw.  And  again :  "  Wherefore  it  is  necessary  that  both 
earth  and  heaven  exist  again  after  the  conflagration  of  all  things, 
and  the  fervent  heat :"  {rov  [ipaapMy.)  (Cited  by  Davidson,  III., 
p.  414.) 

Here  is  no  direct  quotation,  but  an  unquestionable  allusion  to 
2  Pet.  3 :  6,  7,  10,  13.  The  expression,  '■'■deluged  \oith  loater^'' 
{o6aTi  y.a-ay.kuaOtLt)  in  2  Pet.  3  :  6,  seems  to  have  suggested  the 
phrase  which  Methodius  employs,  viz.,  "  deluged  with  fire,"" 
xaraxXuZofjLsvot  ~opi.  And  when  he  says  that  the  burning  is  in- 
tended to  end  in  the  purification  and  renovation  of  our  Avorld, 
there  is  an  allusion  to  2  Pet,  3:13,  Avhich  is  peculiarly  striking. 

*  Apud  Epiphan.     Hajres,  LXIV.  31. 


LACTANTIUS.     EUSEBIUS.     ATHANASIUS.  27 

Lactantius  seems  to  allude  to  2  Pet.  1:14,  and  2  Tim.  4  :  c 
in  a  passage  cited  by  Lardner,  (Vol.  III.,  p.  541.) 

Misebius  of  Ca^sarea  seems  not  to  have  been  satisfied  that  this 
second  epistle  was  written  by  Peter.  He  does  not,  however, 
definitively  class  it  among  the  number  of  books  decidedly 
spurious  and  apocryphal.  For  he  says :  (H.  E.  III.,  3,)  "  As  to 
that  work,  however,  which  is  ascribed  to  him,  called  '  The  Acts,' 
and  '  the  Gospel  according  to  Peter,'  and  that  called  '  The 
Preaching  and  the  Revelations  of  Peter,'  tee  know  nothhuj  of  their 
being  handed  doion  as  genuine,  since  neither  among  the  ancient, 
nor  the  church  writers  of  our  own  day,  has  there  been  one  that 
has  appealed  to  testimony  taken  from  them."  So  sharp  and 
pointed  is  the  distinction  made  by  this  witness,  between  works 
falsely  ascribed  to  Peter  and  this  second  epistle. 

The  inquiry  now  naturally  arises.  Why  was  he  inclined  to 
reject  the  epistle  as  Petrine  and  canonical  ?  Probably  from  pre- 
conceived opinions,  or  doctrinal  prejudice.  He  Avas  an  ardent 
admirer  and  zealous  defender  of  Origen.  And  if  Eusebius  em- 
braced the  opinion  of  Origen  in  respect  of  the  ultimate  restora- 
tion or  salvation  of  all  men,  he  would  find  a  very  diflerent  doc- 
trine taught  in  this  second  epistle. 


Atiianasius  of  Alexandria,  A.  D.  32G. 

This  champion  of  orthodoxy,  with  critical  and  logical  acumen 
far  superior  to  that  of  Eusebius,  has  quoted,  as  a2)ostolical  writ- 
ings, the  epistle  of  James,  the  first  and  second  epistles  of  Peter, 
the  first  and  second  epistles  of  John,  the  epistle  of  Jude,  the 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  and  the  Revelation.  (Lardner,  IV., 
p.  157.) 

"  Peter  said,  '  that  ye  might  become  x>artahers  of  a  divine 
nature y"" ''"'  as  it  is  in  2  Pet.  1 :  4.     (Orat.  I.,  contra  Arian.) 


28  CYRIL.    JEROME. 

Cyril  of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  348. 

In  his  "  Catechetical  Discoux'ses"  he  mentions  the  seven  Catho- 
lic epistles  of  James  and  Peter,  John  and  Jude,  as  properly  be- 
longing to  the  books  of  the  New  Testament.  (Lardner,  IV.,  p. 
173.)  He  must,  therefore,  have  received  this  second  epistle  as 
an  authentic  work  of  Peter, 

Jerome,  A.  D.  392. 

This  learned  man  and  celebrated  commentator,  in  his  letter  to 
Paulinus,  speaks  of  the  Catholic  epistles  thus :  "  The  Apostles 
James,  Peter,  John,  Jude,  have  written  seven  epistles — of  few 
words,  but  full  of  sense." 

Further  citations  are  superfluous,  since  all  admit  that  the  Catho- 
lic epistles  were  received  as  genuine  by  Christians  in  this  cen- 
tury. Even  Ephrem^  the  Syrian,  in  his  Greek  works,  quotes 
largely  from  this  second  epistle,  as  the  Apostle  Peter's ;  repre- 
senting, no  doubt,  the  views  of  his  brethren.  In  this  age,  the 
canon  of  the  New  Testament,  embraced  by  the  church,  Greek 
and  Latin,  was  the  same  as  ours. 

Lost  Writij^gs. 

Here  let  us  pause,  for  a  moment,  to  regret  the  loss  of  many  an- 
cient Christian  writings  of  the  three  first  centuries.  In  the  first 
century,  for  example,  the  work  of  Painas,  of  Hierapolis  in  Asia 
Minor,  called,  "An  Explication  of  the  words  of  the  Lord." 
Eusebius  has  told  us  that  Papias  was  a  man  of  feeble  intellect. 
But,  for  all  that,  he  may  have  been  upright,  and  competent 
enough  to  state  j^lain  facts  ;  and  his  testimonies  to  the  Gospels, 
as  cited  by  Eusebius,  are  valuable.  If  his  work,  above  named, 
were  extant,  we  could  exercise  our  own  judgment  as  to  the  char- 


LOST  WRITINGS.  29 

acter  of  his  mind,  and  tlie  nature  of  his  writings.  As  it  is,  we 
must  suspend  our  judgment  herein;  for  Eusebius  evidently  speaks 
of  him  in  a  pet,  and  with  some  prejudice.     (II.  E.  III.  39.) 

In  the  second  century,  we  must  lament  the  loss  of  writings 
composed  by  Dionysius  of  Corinth ;  and  particularly  that 
epistle  in  which  "  he  defended  the  rule  of  truth,"  or  canon  of  our 
faith,  against  Marcion's  heresy.  The  Catholic  epistles,  it  is  very 
probable,  were  mentioned  in  that  treatise,  as  well  as  the  Pau- 
line. TatiaiTbS  work  on  the  four  Gospels,  also,  is  lost.  (Dia 
Tessaron.)  So  is  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  Ilegesippus  /  a  few 
fragments  excepted,  which  are  preserved  by  Eusebius.  Melito 
of  Sardis,  in  Asia  Minor,  wrote  many  books,  Avhich  shared  the 
same  fate,  viz. :  "  Of  the  Prophets,"  "  Of  the  Church,"  "  On  the 
Lord's  day,"  "  Of  the  obedience  of  faith,"  "  On  the  Revelation 
of  John,"  etc.  The  work  of  3Iiltlades  against  the  Montanists 
is  lost,  and  his  writings  against  the  Jews  and  Gentiles.  Also, 
the  treatise  which  TJieo2)hilus  of  Antioch  wrote  against  Her- 
mogenes ;  only  his  three  books  to  Autolycus,  before  cited,  re- 
main. The  brief  notes,  or  commentaries,  of  Clement  of  Alexan- 
dria., (called  "  Ilypotyposes,"  or  Institutions,)  on  various  poi*- 
tions  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and  particularly  on  the 
Pauline  and  Catholic  Epistlks,  are  lost ;  Avhich  cannot  be  too 
deeply  regretted.  In  the  third  century,  we  have  some  of  Ori- 
gen's  works,  only  in  Latin  translations,  the  author  of  which  has 
confessed  that  he  made  alterations  in  them,  in  order  to  make 
them  conform  to  the  translator's  views  of  orthodoxy.  These 
vmrks  of  Origen  are  worse  than  lost — mutilated  and  falsified. 
The  treatise  of  Hippolytus  "  Against  all  heresies,"  lately  discov- 
ei'ed,  is  not  yet  in  our  possession. 

The  reader  can  see,  from  this  brief  statement,  Jiow  very  likely 
it  is  that  much  of  the  evidence  for  the  genuineness  of  this  e])istlc, 
and  the  others  doubted  of  by  a  few,  has  been  destroyed  by  the 
tooth  of  time. 

It  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  all  the  books  called  contro- 


30  I^OST  WRITINGS. 

verted  by  Eusebius,  are  found  in  all  the  ancient  manuscripts  and 
versions  of  the  New  Testament  that  are  extant,  in  a  complete 
state ;  the  old  Syriac  version  excepted.  Modern  critics  Avho  doubt 
of  the  authenticity  of  2d  Pet.,  lay  great  stress  on  the  feet,  that 
this  epistle  is  not  contained  in  the  old  Syriac  version.  This  ver- 
sion, if  not  made  towards  the  end  of  the  first  centiary,  Avas  cer- 
tainly made  early  in  the  second.  It  is  very  likely,  then,  that  the 
author  of  this  translation  had  no  knowledge  of  this  epistle  at  the 
time  when  he  wrote.  He,  of  course,  could  not  translate  a  book 
altogether  unknown  to  him  ;  and  this  is  confirmed  from  the  fact 
that  Ephrem,  the  Syrian,  freely  quotes  it  as  Peter's ;  expressing, 
no  doubt,  the  sentiment  of  the  Syrian  churches  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury. Theophilus  of  Antioch,  in  Syria,  in  the  second  ceniury^ 
also  alludes  to  this  epistle,  as  before  shown. 

The  same  critics  also  attach  considerable  importance  to  the 
fact,  that  this  epistle  is  not  quoted  by  Tertullian,  Cyprian,  and 
others.  But  the  mere  fact  that  this  epistle  is  not  cited  by  these 
writers,  is  no  certain  proof  that  they  rejected  it.  What  canon 
of  criticism  have  we — what  rule  suggested  by  good  sense,  wMch 
rtialces  it  Mnding  on  any  Christian  writer,  ancient  or  tno<hrn^ 
to  cite  all  the  hooks  of  the  Nexo  Testainent  in  his  icritings  ;  even 
in  those,  the  aim  of  tchich  is  not  to  give  catalogues  of  these 
sacred  books  f  Surely,  this  is  an  unreasonable  demand.  To 
describe  it  biiefly,  it  is  the  essence  of  nonsense,  bottled  and  la- 
belled. 

We  have,  then,  all  the  evidence  from  ancient  authors  of  the 
first  three  centuries,  that  could  be  reasonably  expected  in  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case.  The  writers  who  immediately  succeeded 
the  apostles,  are  very  few ;  the  Apologists,  or  defenders  of  Chris- 
tianity, did  not  consider  it  their  business  to  give  catalogues  of  the 
New  Testament,  but  to  prove  to  enemies  the  excellency  and  truth 
of  the  faith  delivered  to  the  saints ;  and  they  who  will  review  the 
testimony,  as  before  given,  may  judge  for  themselves  of  its  per- 
tinency and  validity.     Some,  perhaps,  may  be  disposed  to  object 


THE  EPISTLE  NOT  FORGED.  31 

to  the  fact  that  we  have  attached  importance  to  allusions  to  tliis 
second  epistle,  but  the  objection  would  be  unjust ;  foi'  when  I 
write  here,  "Faith, in  the  blood  of  Christ,"  I  at  once  show  that  I 
am  acquainted  with  one  of  Paul's  epistles.     (Rome  3  :  25.) 

§  3.  An  examination  of  the  hypotJiesls  that  the  epistle  is  a 
forged  con^josition. 

"  This  epistle,"  says  Neander,  "  was  probably  forged  by  those 
who  wished  to  combat  the  Gnostic  errors,  and  the  opinion 
broached  by  the  Gnostics  of  a  contrariety  betAveen  the  apostles, 
Peter  and  Paul,  by  the  borrowed  authority  of  the  former."* 

It  is  exceedingly  rash,  to  say  the  least,  to  resort  to  such  a  hy- 
pothesis, in  reference  to  this  epistle  ;  besides,  it  is  altogether  un- 
tenable. To  make  assertions  of  this  sort,  is  easy  ;  to  demonstrate 
their  truth,  is  another  matter.  When  a  learned  man  positively 
declares  that  this  second  epistle,  always  ascribed  to  Peter,  and 
to  none  else,  is  a  forgery,  he  should  be  clad  with  impenetrable 
armor ;  his  arguments  should  be  powerful  and  irrefutable  ;  which 
Meander's  are  not,  as  we  have  shown  below,  in  the  refutation  of 
the  objections  drawn  from  internal  evidence.  Olshausenf  and 
DavidsonJ  have  shown  more  critical  sagacity  in  this  particular,  and 
a  more  unbiassed  judgment ;  the  former  of  whom  is  satisiied  in  his 
own  mind  that  the  epistle  is  Peter's,  but  thinks  that  it  is  difficult 
to  prove  it ;  with  whom  Davidson  seems  to  concur. 

The  hypothesis  of  Neander  is  untenable,  (1,)  because  it  is 
directly  contrary  to  the  testimony  of  the  ancients  with  respect  to 
the  epistle.  The  question  to  be  settled  is,  whether  Peter  wrote 
it,    or   some   person   or   persons    forged   it  in    his    name,   and 


*  "  Planting  and  Training  of  the  Christian  Church  by  the  Apostles,"  translated 
by  Ryland.     (Book  IV.,  Chap.  II.) 

f  "Proof  of  the  Geuuiuenoss  of  the  Writings  of  the  New  Testament,"  trans- 
lated by  Fosdick,  and  preti.\ed  to  Olshausen's  Commentary  on  the  Gospels, 
Vol.  I. 

X  "  Introduction  to  the  New  Testament,"  Vol.  III.,  Bagster's  edition. 


32  THE  EPISTLE  NOT  FORGED. 

the  proper  way  of  settling  it  is  by  historical  evidence.  Now, 
not  so  much  as  one  ecclesiastical  writer,  in  the  first  three  cen- 
turies, has  testified  to  its  spurious  or  apocryphal  character  ;  no, 
not  one.  Eusebius  testifies  that  the  work  called,  "  The  Gospel 
according  to  Peter,"  and  other  works  of  the  same  sort,  were  not 
at  all  aclaiowledged  by  the  ancients  as  genuine.  (H.  E.  III.,  3.) 
And  of  these  works  falsely  ascribed  to  Peter,  Jerome  likewise 
says,  that  the  theologians  and  critics  of  his  day  concurred  in  re- 
jecting  them  as  apocryphal.  But  tJds  is  never  said  by  any  of  the 
ancient  waiters  of  the  Ante-Nicene  church,  whose  works  are  ex- 
tant, of  the  second  epistle  of  Peter. 

(2.)  The  difiiculties  that  seemed  to  Neander  sufficient  to  brand 
this  ej^istle  as  spurious  and  apocryphal,  are  no  difiiculties  at  all ; 
and  this  we  say  with  all  the  deference  that  is  properly  due  to  his 
eminent  learning  and  ability.  For,  on  this  subject,  his  theory  is 
laid  down  as  law ;  his  ipse  dixit  as  decisive.  This  will  not  do. 
No  man — no  body  of  men — can  be  believed  when  they  say  that 
this  epistle  is  spurious,  unless  they  prove  it.  The  onus  proband! 
rests,  of  right,  on  them. 

Neander  assmnes  that  Gnostic  errors  are  combatted  in  the 
epistle,  and  hence  it  must  be  a  writing  not  of  the  first  century  ; 
not  Petrine.     Thus, 

"  He  flings  at  our  head  conviction  in  the  lump, 
And  comes  to  grave  conckisions — in  a  jump." 

This  is  not  the  first  time  the  old  proverb  has  been  verified — 
"  Tlie  more  haste,  the  less  speed."  For  wdio,  that  knows  any- 
thing accurately  of  the  Apostohc  age,  can  deny  that  the  germs  of 
Gnosticism  toere  then  sprouting  f  The  inspired,  eagle-eyed  Paul 
detected  them.     1  Tim.  6  :  20,  21,*     And  Peter  simply  predicts 


*  Some  "  minute  philosophers"  have  questioned  the  genuineness  of  the  Pas- 
toral Epistles,  hut  their  Pauline  origin  has  been  indisputably  proved  by  David- 
son, Olshausen,  Hug,  and  others. 


THE  EPISTLE  NOT  FORGED.  33 

that  those  germs  would  speedily  grow  up  mto  poisonous  plants 
in  the  garden  of  God ;  as  was  the  case  in  the  second  century.  It 
does  not  follow,  therefore,  that  this  ejiistle  is  spurious,  even 
if  it  does  describe  and  attack  the  Gnostic  errors,  or  others  of 
the  same  genus.  Does  not  Paul  (suggested  here  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  mode  in  which  the  apostles  describe  and  attack  heresy,) 
say  that  "  the  mystery  of  iniquity  Avas  already  icorJcmff  in  his 
day  ?  And  yet,  in  the  next  breath,  he  goes  on  to  foretell,  and 
describe,  its  future  manifestation  and  development ;  the  summit 
and  abolition  of  which  Avill  not  be  reached  until  the  appearing  of 
our  Lord.  2  Thess.  2  :  7-12,  And  pray,  why  may  not  Peter  paint 
heretics  and  heresies  in  the  same  way  ? 

But  we  are  told  that  another  end,  in  forging  this  epistle,  was 
to  reconcile  the  opposition  there  was  between  Peter  and  Paul, 
as  discovered  and  declared  by  the  Gnostics ;  and  the  anxiety  of 
the  writer  of  this  second  epistle,  to  show  his  unity  of  faith  with 
Paul,  is  enough,  it  seems,  to  prove  the  epistle  spurious  !  xV  won- 
derful argument,  indeed !  Now,  in  the  first  epistle,  whose  gen- 
uineness is  unquestionable,  and  of  which  Neander  says,  that  "  it 
bears  the  impress  of  the  apostolic  spirit,"  Peter  shows  his  anxiety 
to  confirm,  by  his  testimony,  the  doctrine  taught  by  Paul,  and 
his  assistants.  For  he  declares,  that  they  preached  the  gospel  to 
them,  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven.  1  Pet.  1  : 
12.  And,  to  this  end,  he  also  sends  Silvanus  (or  Silas)  to  them, 
as  the  bearer  of  the  epistle.  1  Pet.  5  :  12.  Such  attempts  at 
reasoning  may,  therefore,  be  safely  set  aside  as  worthless.  It  is 
cleax*,  then,  that  Neander  has  failed  in  assigning  the  motives  or 
aim  of  the  supposed  forger  in  corajjosing  the  letter. 

(3.)  The  supposition  that  this  epistle  is  a  forgery,  by  some  un- 
known writer,  at  the  close  of  the  first,  or  beginning  of  the  second, 
century,  is  not  at  all  credible.  Such  productions  are  still  extant, 
and  their  characteristics  well  known.  "  It  is  not  credible,"  says 
INIichielis,   "that   a   religionist,   of  the  first  or  second  century, 

should  have  imitated  Peter  so  successfully,  as  to  betray  no  marks 
3 


34  TESTIMONY  OF  JUDE. 

of  a  forgery  ;  for  the  spurious  works  of  those  ages,  Avhich  were 
sent  into  the  world  under  the  name  of  aj)ostles,  are,  for  the  most 
part,  very  unhappy  imitations,  and  discover  very  evident  marks 
that  they  were  not  written  by  the  persons  to  whom  they  are 
ascribed.  Other  productions  of  this  kind  betray  theu*  origin  by 
the  poverty  of  their  materials,  or  by  the  circumstance,  that,  in- 
stead of  containing  original  thoughts,  they  are  nothing  more  than 
a  rhapsody  of  sentiments  gathered  from  various  parts  of  the 
Bible,  and  put  together  without  plan  or  order.  This  charge  can- 
not be  laid  to  the  second  epistle  of  Peter.  Lastly,  it  is  very  dif- 
ficult, even  for  a  man  of  the  greatest  talents,  to  forge  a  writing, 
without  sometimes  inserting  what  the  pretended  author  either 
would  not,  or  could  not,  have  said  ;  and,  to  support  the  impos- 
ture, in  so  complete  a  manner  as  not  to  militate,  in  a  single  in- 
stance, either  against  his  character,  or  against  the  age  in  which 
he  lived.  Now,  in  the  second  epistle  of  Peter,  though  it  has 
been  a  subject  of  examination  full  seventeen  hundred  years,  no- 
thing has  hitherto  been  discovered  which  is  unsuitable,  either  to 
the  apostle,  or  to  the  apostolic  age.  We  have  no  reason,  there- 
fore, to  believe  that  the  second  epistle  of  Peter  is  spurious,  espe- 
cially as  it  is  difficult  to  comprehend  what  motive  could  have  in- 
duced a  Christian,  whether  orthodox  or  heretic,  to  attempt  the 
fabrication  of  such  an  epistle,  and  then  falsely  ascribe  it  to 
Peter."*  Neander's  hypothesis,  then,  when  examined  /from  a 
historical  point  of  view,  is  found  to  rest  on  nothing  but  rotten 
timber. 

§  4.  Testimony  of  Jtide  to  the  second  epistle  of  Peter ^  as  a  tcork 
of  o?ie  of  Christ'' s  apostles. 

(1.)  W^as  tTude,  strictly  speaking,  an  Apostle  of  Christ?     He 
calls  himself,  "  A  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  brother  of  James." 

*  Introduction  to  the  New  Testament,  translated  by  Marsh.    Vol.  4,  chap.  28. 


WAS  JUDE  AN  APOSTLE?  35 

The  phrase,   '•^  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ, ^^  is  not,  of  itself,  suffi- 
cient to  show  that  he  considered  himself  an  ajiostle  of  Christ,  in 
the   strict  sense.     The  corresponding  Hebrew   phrase   is  often 
used,  indeed,   to   denote   Jehovah's   envoys   in  the   Old  Testa- 
ment Church  ;  as  Moses  and  Joshua,     J*atd,  in  his  epistles,  styles 
himself  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  often  with  other  adjuncts  ;  a 
few  of  his  letters  excepted.     (Sec  the  inscriptions  in  Rom.  1  and 
2,  Cor.,  Gal.,  Eph.,  Col.,  1  and  2  Tim.,  Tit.)    In  the  epistle  to  Phile- 
mon, he  calls  himself  "  a  prisoner  of  Christ  Jesus  ;"  omitting  his 
official  designation,  probably,  because  he  asks  a  personal  lavor, 
viz.,  the  kind  reception  of  a  fugitive  slave  by  his  master.     In  the 
epistle  to  the  Philippians,  he  begins  thus:  "Paul  and  Timothy, 
servants  of  Jesus  Christ ;"  perhaps,  because  he  had  departed,  in 
this  instance,  from  the  ordinary  construction  of  his  words,  Avhen 
mentioning  an  assistant,   which  is  thus :    "  Paul,  an  apostle  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  Timothy,  our  brother."     (Col.)     If  Paul,  in 
Phil.  1  :  1,  had  said,  "  Paul  and  Timothy,  apostles  of  Jesus  Christ," 
it  would  not  have  been  true.     Timothy  was  an  evangelist,  not  an 
Apostle.     2  Tim.  4  :  5.     He,  therefore,  said,  Servants  of  Jesus 
Christ.     In  the  epistles  to  the  Thessalonians,  thus :  "Paul,  and 
Silvanus,  and  Timothy,  to  the  church,"  etc.     Paul's  usage,  then, 
as  to  the  mode   of  designating  the  apostolic   office,  is  definite 
and  precise ;  the  exceptions  admitting  of  easy  solutions.     So  is 
that  of  Peter.     1  Pet.  1  :  1.     2  Pet.  1  :  1. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  omission  of  the  phrase,  "  An  ai)os- 
tle  of  Jesus  Christ "  in  the  inscription  of  an  epistle,  is  not,  of 
itself,  enough  to  prove  that  the  writer  was  no  apostle ;  and  that, 
because  John,  in  his  first  epistle,  omits  his  name  and  official  title  ; 
though  he  claims  inspiration  for  himself,  in  the  most  decided  lan- 
guage. (1  Jno.  4 :  6.)  In  his  Gospel,  his  name,  indeed,  is  not 
found,  although  he  describes  himself  as  "  that  disciple  whom  Jesus 
loved,"  i.  e.,  one  of  the  twelve,  a  special  friend  of  Jesus.  (Jno. 
21 :  7.)  In  the  Apocalypse,  or  Revelation,  lie  denominates  him- 
self a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ.     Apostolic  usage,  then,  not  being 


36  WAS  JUDE  AN  APOSTLE  ? 

uniform  on  this  point,  the  first  part  of  the  inscription  in  Jude's 
epistle,  is  of  doubtful  meaning.  It  may  be  meant  to  describe 
him  as  an  apostle,  and  it  may  not. 

The  additional  phrase,  "  Brother  of  James,"  does  not  remove 
the  obscurity.  There  Avere  two  apostles  named  James ;  one,  the 
sou  of  Zebedee,  the  other,  the  son  of  Alpheus.  One  of  the  breth- 
ren of  our  Lord  was  also  named  James.   Matt.  13  :  55.  Mark  6:3. 

Two,  also,  of  the  apostles  were  called  Judas,  or  Jude  ;  one  with 
the  surname  Iscariot,  (a  man  of  Karioth,  Josh.  15:  25;)  the 
other  is  described  negatively  by  John  as  "  not  Iscariot"  (Jno. 
14  :  22.)  This  Jude  is  called  by  Luke,  in  his  gospel,  and  in  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,  "  Jude,  of  James  ;"  some  contending  that 
the  ellipsis  must  be  thus  supplied  :  '  Jude,  (the  son)  of  James ;' 
and  others,  thus:  'Jude,  (the  brother)  of  James.'  It  is  generally 
supposed  that  this  Jude  the  apostle,  'not  Iscariot,'  or  'Jude,  of 
James,'  is  the  same  as  Lebbeus  or  Thaddeus.  One  of  the  breth- 
ren* of  our  Lord  was  also  named  Judas,  or  Jude.  Matt.  13  :  55. 
Mark  6:3. 

In  the  Apostolic  Church,  there  was  also  a  Judas,  or  Jude,  sur- 
named  Barsabas,  "  a  leading  man  among  the  brethren,"  and  "  a 
prophet^''  or  inspired  person  ;  next  in  rank  and  authoi'ity  to  an 
apostle.     (1  Cor.  12  :  28.     Eph.  4  :  11.)     Acts  15  :  22-32. 

Now,  as  to  the  brethren  of  the  Lord,  we  agree  with  those  who 
esteem  it  probable  that  neither  his  brother,  called  James,  nor  the 
one  called  Jude,  were  apostles.  "  For  not  even  did  his  brethren 
believe  on  him."  Jno.  7:5.  "  It  is  only  after  the  ascension  of 
Jesus  that  they  appear  among  the  assembled  believers.  Acts 
1  :  14.  It  is  not  likely,  therefore,  that  any  one  of  them  should 
have  been  among  the  twelve."    (See  Olshausen,  Com.  on  the  Gos- 


*Whether  the  brethren  of  Jesus  were  sons  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  or  sons  of 
Joseph  by  a  former  wife,  as  tradition  says  ;  or  cousins,  called  brothers,  accord- 
ing to  Hebrew  usage,  or  sous  of  Cleophas  and  Mary ;  is  a  question  greatly  dis- 
puted, and  not  of  easy  solution.  See  Schaff.  Hist.  Apost.  Ch.,  §  95.  Olshausen 
on  the  Gospels,  §  23.     Alexander  on  Mark,  6 :  3. 


WAS  JUDE  AN  APOSTLE  ?  37 

pels,  §  15.  See  also,  Alexander  on  Mark  6  ;  3,  and  3:  13,  wlio 
objects  to  this  view.) 

If  then  the  epistles  of  James  and  Jude  Avere  written  by  apostles^ 
James,  the  son  of  Alpheus,  must  be  the  author  of  the  one,  and 
Jude,  brother  of  this  James,  the  writer  of  the  other.  That  the 
son  of  Alpheus  was  the  writer  of  the  former,  is  maintained  by 
Calvin,  Davidson,  and  others ;  some,  however,  contend  that  James, 
the  Lord's  brotlier,  Avas  the  author  of  the  former,  and  Jude,  a 
brother  of  this  James,  of  the  latter.  Schott,  Avhoni  Stuart*  is  in- 
clined to  follow,  supposes  that  Jude,  surnamed  Barsabas,  was  the 
author  of  the  latter  epistle. 

The  question  as  to  the  authors  of  these  two  epistles,  is  a  tangled 
knot,  hard  to  untie,  and  one  on  Avhich  Ave  speak  Avithout  any  dogma- 
tism. But  the  inspiration  and  canonical  authority  of  tlie  epistles, 
are  not  at  all  affected  thereby,  inasmuch,  as  neither  James  nor 
Jude  denominate  themseh'es  Apostles.  Besides,  even  if  written 
by  men  not  apostles,  but  by  prophets  or  evangelists^^  their  in- 
spired and  canonical  authority  would  be  indubitable.  Thus,  the 
Avhole  church,  ancient  and  modern,  has  received,  as  canonical,  the 
four  gospels,  two  of  which  Avere  Avritten  by  men  Avho  Avere  evan- 
gelists^ i.  e.,  inspired  missionaries,  assistants  and  deputies  of  apos- 
tles ;  A'iz. :  the  Gospels  according  to  Mark  and  Luke.  The  case 
is  the  same  Avith  respect  to  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  composed 
by  Luke. 

So  far  as  our  present  argument  is  concerned,  it  is  of  no  impor- 
tance Avhether  Jude's  epistle  Avas  Avrittenby  Jude,  the  apostle,  or 
by  Jude,  a  brother  of  the  Lord — if  they  indeed  are  different  per- 
sons— or  by  Jude,  surnamed  Barsabas,  If  it  be  not  an  Apostolic 
Epistle,  in  the  strict  sense,  it  is,  unquestionably,  an  epistle  Avritteu 
by  "a  prophet"  or  "  evangelist,"  and  hence  inspired;  aiul  an 
epistle  of  the  first  century. 

*Hag's  latrod.  New  Testament,  §  181,  note  43. 
fSchaff's  Hist.  Apost.  Cli.,  §§  130,  131. 


38  IS  JUDE'S  EPISTLE  GENUINE  ? 

There  is,  however,  a  passage  in  the  epistle  itself,  which  seems 
to  intimate  that  Jude  did  not  regard  himself  as  an  Apostle^  pro- 
perly speaking — 17,18  vs.  "But,  beloved,  remember  ye  the 
things  predicted  hy  the  apostles  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christy  for  they 
said  to  you  :  '  In  the  last  time,'  etc.  Here  the  expressions  itali- 
cised, appear  to  convey  this  thought :  '  I,  as  a  prophet,  or  evan- 
gelist of  Christ,  bid  you  remember  what  the  apostles  said  to  you, 
and  particularly  Peter,  whose  words  I  now  remind  you  of.'  Ben- 
gel,  however,  supposes  that,  if  Jude's  intention  had  been  to  dis- 
tinguish himself  from  the  apostles,  he  "would,  in  the  eighteenth 
verse,  have  said  :  "  for  they  said  to  us,^^  instead  of,  "  to  youP  Be 
this  as  it  may,  still  Jude,  certainly,  neither  in  this  passage,  nor 
in  any  part  of  his  letter,  calls  himself  an  Apostle  of  Jesus  Christ ; 
nor  does  he  say,  in  the  words  before  us,  "  Remember  the  things 
predicted  hy  tis,  the  apostles,''"'  but,  "  Remember  the  things  pre- 
dicted by  the  apostles  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ^''  "Whether  our 
suggestion  is  justified  by  this  passage  or  not,  still  there  does  not 
appear  a  valid  reason  why  theologians  and  critics  should  insist  on 
calling  Jude  an  Apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  himself  studi- 
ously shuns  that  phrase,  as  ajspertaining  to  his  office.  The  wiser 
and  safer  way  seems  to  be,  to  speak  of  him  as  a  prophet,  or  evan- 
gelist. 

(2.)  Is  Jude's  epistle  genuine  ?  It  is ;  because,  according  to  the 
testimony  of  Eusebius  himself,  the  books  styled  by  him  contro- 
verted, were  received  as  genuine  by  most  ecclesiastical  writers 
of  the  first  three  centuries  ;  the  best  judges  in  the  matter.  Cle- 
ment, of  Alexandria,  brings  a  citation  from  it  with  this  preface : 
'•'- Jude  spohe  prophetically 'wi  his  epistle."  Tertullian  speaks  of 
him  as  "  the  apostle  Jude,"  meaning  thereby,  most  likely,  apos- 
tolical missionary,*  or  evangelist.  Origen,  in  his  Greek  commen- 
taries on  Matthew,  often  quotes  the  epistle  of  Jude,  and  also  says : 
"  Jude  wrote  an  epistle,  of  a  few  lines  indeed,  but  full  of  power- 

*As  in  Acts  14  :  14.     Comp.  Acts  13 :  1-4. 


JUDE'S  TESTIMONY.  39 

ful  words  of  the  heavenly  grace;  wlio  at  tlie  beginnmg  says, 
'  Jude,  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  brother  of  James.'  "  Luci- 
fer Calaritanus,  (of  Cagliari  in  Sardinia,)  has  quoted  largely  from 
this  epistle  imder  the  name  of  Jude,  the  excellent  apostle.  But 
^ve  need  mention  no  more  witnesses,  since,  in  Lucifer's  time,  (the 
fourth  century,)  '  the  controverted  books '  were  generally  receiv- 
ed by  churches  and  theologians.  ^ 

The  principal  objections  urged  against  the  genuineness  of  the 
epistle,  from  the  time  of  Origen  until  now,  has  been  drawn  from 
the  alleged  fact  that  Jude  quotes  from  apocryphal  authors, 
'  the  book  of  Enoch,'  and  '  the  Ascension  of  Moses' — 14,  15  vs., 
and  9  V.  But  has  it  been  satisfactorily  established  that  he  has 
done  so  ?  Are  the  proofs  that  these  books  were  extant  in  the 
first  century,  and  that  Jude  cited  them,  unanswerable  ?  Let  us 
admit  all  this,  however,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  and  then  what 
follows  ?  The  spuriousness  of  the  Epistle  ?  By  no  means. 
Jude  was  warning  the  brethren  against  those  who  shamefully 
perverted  the  gospel ;  if  he,  then,  laid  hold  of  arms,  on  which 
these  men  relied,  what  can  there  be  unsuitable  in  that '?  If  Jude 
quoted  books  which  these  perverters  of  the  gospel  considered  au- 
thoritative, pray,  where  was  the  wrong  in  cutting  off  the  heads 
of  these  Philistines  with  their  own  swords  ?  Besides,  the  quota- 
tion of  a  passage  of  an  apocryphal  work,  by  an  inspired  writer,  is 
not  an  approval  of  the  whole  Avork,  but  only  of  the  passage  cited : 
Or  it  may  be  no  more  than  a  clever  argumentum  ad  hominem, 
and  intended  to  express  neither  approval  or  disapproval  of  it,  on 
the  part  of  the  sacred  penman.  Neither  is  there,  in  the  epistle, 
any  thing  unworthy  of  an  inspired  writer,  or  repugnant  to  apos- 
tolic doctrine. 

(3.)  J^ude  cites  the  second  epistle  of  Peter  as  the  work  of  <iii 
apostle  of  Christ.  To  establish  this,  will  be  easy,  after  some 
stumbling  blocks  have  been  taken  out  of  the  way.  The  striking- 
likeness  existing  between  the  epistle  of  Jude,  and  the  second 
chapter  of  the  second  epistle  of  Peter,  has  often  been  noticed, 


40  JUDE'S  TESTIMONY. 

and  is  so  obvious  that  it  forces  itself  on  the  attention,  even  of  a 
superficial  reader.  How  is  this  fact  to  be  explained  ?  Not  by 
denying  what  is  unquestionably  true,  but  in  "  a  more  excellent 
way."  Some  account  for  it,  by  saying  that  Peter  made  use  of 
Jude's  epistle.  Thus,  Hug  and  Davidson.  Others,  by  saying 
that  Jude  made  use  of  Peter's  second  epistle.  So  Qllcumenius, 
Luther,  Mill,  Storr,  Schaff,  and  Hengstenberg.  Olshausen  ac- 
counted for  it,  by  supposing  that  Peter  and  Jude  met,  and  had  a 
conference  on  the  best  mode  of  crushing  the  heretics.  Sherlock 
supposed  that  Jude  and  Peter  both  made  use  of  a  common  docu- 
ment, or  drew  from  the  same  source,  in  their  own  way ;  and  this 
opinion  has  been  favored  by  Benson,  Scott,  and  Doddridge. 

This  diversity  of  explanation  shows,  either  that  the  subject  is 
difficult,  or  most  of  the  writers  confused.  Like  the  blind  man, 
when  just  recovering  his  sight,  they  see  very  indistinctly ;  men 
walking,  look  like  trees 

Olshausen's  solution  is  a  figment  of  his  imagination,  and  pure 
conjecture,  without  a  shadow  of  proof.  If  ancient  writers  had 
testified  to  such  a  meeting,  it  might  deserve  a  moment's  attention  ; 
as  the  case  is,  it  does  not. 

Sherlock's  explanation  is  no  better,  though  more  ingenious. 
For  he  assumes,  without  proof,  that  such  a  writing  was  extant 
in  the  first  century,  and  that  both  writers  copied  it,  according  to 
their  own  taste.  But  it  will  not  do,  to  bring  forward  an  inven- 
tion of  fancy,  to  explain  a  fact  like  the  one  under  consideration. 

Neither  has  it  been  proved  that  Peter  made  use  of  Jude's  epis- 
tle. The  arguments  which  Hug  employs  in  favor  of  this  hypo- 
thesis, are  not  convincing.  It  does  not  follow,  from  the  fact  that 
the  style  of  2  Pet.,  and  esiDCcially  the  second  chapter,  is  adorned 
with  figures,  and  copiously  expressed,  that  therefore  Peter  copied 
Jude,  by  embellishing  his  language,  and  amplyfying  his  express- 
ions ;  and  that  because  a  copious  and  ornamental  style  is  alto- 
gether Petrine.  The  other  argument  of  Hug  is  founded  on  a 
comparison  of  2  Pet.  2:11,  Avith  Jude,  9  v.     But  it  has  not  been 


JUDE'S  TESTIMONY.  41 

demonstrated  that  both  writers  refer  to  the  same  subject.  And 
even  if  they  did,  it  would  not  prove  that  Peter  uses  the  Avord 
"  dignities"  in  the  sense  of  angels.  The  argmnents  of  Davidson, 
in  support  of  this  hypothesis,  so  far  as  they  differ  from  those  of 
Hug,  are  mere  gossamer  webs,  which  it  is  not  worth  while  to 
touch  and  break. 

The  only  credible  supposition,  is,  that  Jude  made  use  of  this 
second  epistle ;  and  the  unanswerable  argument  for  it  is,  that 
Jude  himself  acknowledges  as  much  ;  for  he  quotes  from  this 
epistle  as  an,  apostolic  loriting.  (Jude,  17,  18  vs.)  "  But  you, 
beloved,  remember  the  things*  i:)redicted  by  the  Apostles  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  they  said  to  you :  '  In  the  last  time  there 
shall  be  scoffers,  walking  according  to  their  ungodly  lusts.'  " 
Comp.  2  Pet.  3  :  3.  Noav,  Peter  alone,  of  all  the  apostolic  writers, 
has  this  sentence  in  his  second  epistle.  And  Jude  certainly 
quotes  it.  He  quotes  it,  too,  as  said  by  one  of  Christ's  apostles  : 
"  For  they^''  (the  apostles  mentioned  just  before,)  "told  you  that 
'  in  the  last  time  there  shall  be  scoffers,' "  etc.  Thus  clearly,  does 
Jude  give  his  testimony,  as  an  inspired  writer,  to  the  second 
epistle  of  Peter,  as  a  genuine  apostolic  writing.  It  must,  there- 
fore, be  indeed  Peter's. 

We  before  regretted  the  loss  of  many  uninspii-ed  A\()rks  of  the 
first  three  centuries,  but  we  may  now  rejoice  that  we  have  tlie 
testimony  of  an  inspired  writer  of  the  apostolic  age  and  church, 
to  the  authenticity  of  the  second  epistle  of  Peter.  Since  the  tes- 
timony of  such  a  writer  is  infallible,  we  need  not  hesitate  to  con- 
clude, that  no  book  has,  or  can  have,  a  more  unquestionable 
right  to  its  place  in  the  canon  of  the  ISTew  Testament. 


*  Davidson  thinks  that  rwv  iWiIjAtiuv  rwv  TTpoetpTjfiivojv,  in  Judo,  implies 
that  the  -words  referred  to.  were  spoken,  not  written.  But  pr/tm  means  a  tiiinfr, 
as  well  as  a  word.  And  nothing  is  more  common  in  Scripture,  than  to  refer  to 
a  writer  as  speaking :  e.  g.  "In  all  his  epistles,  si'E.vKiNG  m  them,"  etc.  2  Pet. 
3:  16.  "What  says  the  Scripture?"  Rom.  4:  ."5.  •'  Isaiah  is  very  hold,  and 
says."     Rom.  10:  20. 


42  INTERNAL  EVIDENCE. 


II. — §  1.  Internal  evidence  as  to  the  authenticity  of  the  epistle. 

The  writer  not  only  called  himself  Simon  Peter,  a  servant,  and 
an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  he  also  alludes  to  facts,  which 
clearly  indicate  that  Peter  is  meant.  Thus,  1:14,  he  refers  to 
what  Christ  had  said  concerning  his  death,  recorded  by  John 
21 :  18.  He  declares,  also,  that  he  was  one  of  the  witnesses  of 
our  Lord's  transfigui-ation,  1:16-18.  Now  Peter,  James  and 
John  were  the  only  apostles  who  beheld  the  transfiguration. 
And  this  epistle  has  never  been  ascribed  by  any  of  the  ancients, 
to  James  or  John,  but  only  to  Peter.  He  calls  Paul  his  beloved 
brother,  and  speaks  of  his  epistles  as  truly  inspired  writings, 
3  :  15,  16.  In  calling  Paul  his  brother,  i.  e.,  his  brother  as  an 
apostle,  he  seems  to  allude  to  Gal.  2  :  V-9 ;  where  Paul  declares 
that  Cejjhas  (or  Peter,)  James  and  John  gave  him  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship.  And  in  calling  him  his  beloved  brother,  there  is 
an  allusion  to  Gal.  2  :  11-14,  Avhich  proves  that  Peter's  love  to 
Paul  had  not  been  lessened  by  the  pungent  rebuke  he  received 
for  the  temporary  wavering  into  which  he  was  hurried.,  by  undue 
deference  to  the  prejudices  of  his  Jewish  brethren.  (Comj^are  the 
verb  <ryva-5j;j^^)j= hurried  away,  pressed  along,  as  in  a  crowd, 
Gal.  2:13,  with  2  Pet.  3:17,  avva-ayOi.>7t'^—\i\\\A^A  away.)  Sure- 
ly these  delicate  allusions  are  perfectly  natui-al  and  artless,  ac- 
cordant with  the  known  facts,  and  such  as  no  forger  would  have 
thought  of,  "  even  if  Satan  himself  had  been  at  his  elbow." 

The  same  doctrine,  likewise,  pervades  both  epistles  ;  so  far,  at 
least,  as  the  design  of  each  epistle  would  lead  a  candid  mind  to 
expect,  and  enough  to  prove  that  Peter  is  the  author  of  the 
second  epistle,  as  well  as  the  first.  That  gosj^el  truth  is  in  order 
to  promote  the  constantly  increasing  holiness  of  believers,  is 
cleai-ly  stated  and  enforced  in  both  epistles,  1  Pet.  1 :  13-16. 
2  Pet.  1 :  5-11.  The  great  motive  which  Peter  employs,  in  his 
first  epistle,  to  animate  believers,  in  their  duties,  sorrows  and 


OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.     STYLE.  43 

trials,  is  drawn  from  the  reward  which  they  shall  obtain  at 
Christ's  second  coming.  1  Pet.  1  :  7-13  ;  4:13;  5:4.  And  tlie 
the  great  design  of  his  second  epistle  is  to  confirm  them  in  the 
trutlis  taught  in  the  first,  as  the  true  grace,  or  gospel  of  God, 

1  Pet.  5:  12,  with  2  Pet.  3:1;  and  this  in  opposition  to  those 
false  teachers  and  scoffers,  who  either  disbelieved  the  second 
coming  of  Christ  altogether,  or  else  denied  his  coming  as  Judge 
and  Lord. 

If  our  Saviour  is  not  truly  God  as  Avell  as  man,  he  can  not  be 
a  competent  person  to  "judge  the  world  in  righteousness."  Acts 
17:  13.  He  should  be  man,  to  "know  what  sore  temptations 
mean ;"  and  onniiscient  as  God,  otherwise  mistakes  would  be  made. 
How  else  can  he  judge  rightly  of  all  our  thoughts,  words  and 
deeds?.  Accordingly,  in  both  epistles,  Peter  lets  us  know  that  our 
Lord  is  Jehovah,  1  Pet.  1  :  11 ;  2  :  3,  4  ;  or  that  Jesus  Christ  is  our 
God   and   Saviour,    worthy   of  present   and   eternal   adoration. 

2  Pet.  1:  1;  3,  18. 

Besides,  the  most  sagacious  writers,  that  oppose  the  genuineness 
of  the  epistle,  (either  wholly,  or  in  a  modified  way,)  admit  that 
the  internal  evidence  of  this  sort  is  decidedly  in  its  favor.  "  Cer- 
tainly," says  Calvin,  "  the  majesty  of  Christ's  Spirit  shows  itself 
in  every  part  of  the  epistle."  (Preface  to  2  Pet.)  "  There  is 
nothing,"  says  Davidson,  "  in  the  epistle  unworthy  of  an  apostle  ; 
nothing  inconsistent  with  the  analogy  of  faith,  or  with  other 
parts  of  the  New  Testament.  On  the  contrary,  it  breathes  an 
apostolic  spirit."     (Int.  New  Testament,  III.,  p.  443.) 

§  2.    Objections  to  the  genuineness  of  the  ejnstle,  derived  from 
internal  evide?ice,  stated,  and  refuted. 

The  following  extract,  from  Jerome,  will  show  what  it  was  that 
led  critics  of  his  day,  to  doubt  whether  this  epistle  was  Peter's : 
"  Peter  Avrote  two  epistles,  called  Catholic ;  the  second  of  wliich 
is  denied  by  most  to  be  his,  because  of  the  difference  of  style  from 


44  OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.     STYLE. 

the  former:  quarum  secunda  a  pleris  ejus  esse  negatur,  propter 
styli  cum  priore  dissonantiam.  "  But  other  hoohs^''  {%.  e.,  books 
claiming  to  be  written  by  him,)  "  one  of  which  is  called  his 
Acts,  another  his  Gospel,  a  third  his  Preaching,  a  fourth  his  Re- 
velation, a  fifth  his  Judgment,  are  ranked  among  apocrj^jhal 
books,  and  are  rejected  as  spurious  : "  inter  apocryphas  scriptu- 
ras  repudiantur.     (De  vir.  ill.) 

The  second  epistle  of  Peter,  then,  was  not  rejected  as  a  spuri- 
ous, or  forged  composition,  like  the  apocryphal  books  ascribed 
to  him ;  but  critics  then  said,  that  its  style  led  them  to  entertain 
doubts  of  its  authenticity.  Jerome  often  wrote  in  hot  haste,  and 
allowances,  therefore,  must  be  made  for  his  unguarded  express- 
ions. He  meant  to  say,  that  a  considerable  number  of  persons, 
qualified  to  examine  siich  a  question,  doubted  its  genuineness,  in 
his  day,  and  that  these  doubts  were  occasioned  by  the  ^  style  of 
the  writer,  not  because  of  the  matter,  or  contents  of  the  writing. 

The  doubts  of  some  very  eminent  modern  theologians,  have 
arisen  from  the  same  source.  Hence,  Calvin,  in  his  preface  to  2 
Pet.,  says :  "  Notwithstanding  some  aflfinity  in  style,  the  differ- 
ences between  it  and  the  former,  are  such,  as  to  indicate  that  they 
had  not  the  same  author."  And  again  :  "  Since  the  majesty  of 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  certainly  shows  itself  in  every  part  of  the 
letter,  I  haA^e  conscientious  scruples  about  wholly  rejecting  it ;  I 
do  not,  however,  recognize  in  it  Peter's  genuine  style,"  (or  mode 
of  expression.)  He  supposes,  therefore,  that  it  was,  probably, 
written  by  a  disciple  of  Peter,  just  before  his  martydom,  approv- 
ed hy  the  apostle^  and  so  published.  But  this  is  pure  conjecture, 
without  even  a  broken  reed  of  historical  evidence  to  lean  on,  and 
therefore,  worthless. 

But  let  us  toeigh  the  principal  objections  to  the  authenticity  of 
this  epistle,  taken  from  internal  evidence,  and  not  surrender  our 
judgments,  hoodwinked,  to  any  great  name,  either  of  ancient  or 
modern  times.  These  objections  are  stated  by  Neander,  in  a 
note  to  his  "  History  of  the  Planting  and  Training  of  the  Chris- 


OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.     STYLE.  45 

tian  Church,"  by  Ryland.  (Book  4,  Chap.  2.)  His  arguments 
are  of  two  chisses :  first,  he  gives  "  the  2)rincipal  marks  of  the 
spuriousness  of  the  epistle,"  and  tlien  "  the  circumstances  that 
excite  suspicion." 

The  principal  marks  of  the  spuriousness  of  the  epistle,  accord- 
ing to  the  view  of  Neander,  are  the  following:  (1.)  The  great 
difference  of  character  and  style,  between  this  epistle  and  the 
first.  Now,  it  may  be  considered  presumptuous,  by  our  readers, 
for  us  to  oppose  Neander,  Calvin,  and  others,  in  this  particular  ; 
but  since  the  year  1851,  when  our  exposition  of  the  first  epistle 
w\as  published,  we  have  often  compared  the  two  epistles  in  the 
original,  and  can  not  discover  such  a  total  disparity,  in  style,  as 
is  asserted.  On  the  contrary,  there  are  unmistakable  indications 
that  both  epistles  are  the  productions  of  the  same  author. 

Here  we  should  observe  that  the  mode  employed  by  German 
critics,  and  their  followers,  in  their  attempts  to  jirove,  from  its 
style,  the  spuriousness  of  this  eijistle,  (and  in  other  similar  ef- 
forts,) is  liable  to  grave  objections.  They  insist,  for  example,  on 
the  nmubers  of  words  found  in  the  first  epistle  only,  and  not  in 
the  second,  nor  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament.  As  if,  for- 
sooth, a  Avriter  must  be  confined  to  a  stereotyped  set  of  words 
and  phrases,  or  his  productions  be  branded  as  spurious,  by  these 
great  masters  of  literary  criticism !  As  if  different  subjects,  or 
different  modes  of  handling  a  subject,  or  feelings  excited  or  com- 
posed, made  no  difference  in  a  writer's  expressions  !  These  gen- 
tlemen also  take  out  their  microscopes,  and  carefully  examine  tlie 
Unkings  of  a  writer's  verbal  construction;  and  if,  in  one  epistle 
they  find  a  somewhat  varied  mode  of  arranging  words  into 
sentences  or  propositions,  they  forthwith  denounce  the  epistle  as 
spurious !  Even  if  a  M'ord,  or  phrase,  is  too  often  repeated  to 
suit  their  highly  cultivated  taste,  they  pounce  upon  "  the  draAvling 
construction"  with  the  foolish  demand,  that  he,  whose  words  run 
tolerably  smooth  in  one  epistle,  should  never  once  stutter  in  an- 
other.    They   tell  us  also,  that   the  appellations  given  to   the 


46  OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.     STTLE. 

Father  and  to  Christ  are  different,  or  variously  nsed  in  the  two 
epistles.  For  examjDle,  "The  Lord"  is  too  frequently  used  in 
the  second  epistle  in  reference  to  Christ ;  it  ought  to  have  been 
used,  say  they,  if  Peter  were  its  author,  in  reference  to  the 
Father.  But  in  1  Pet.  1 :  3 ;  2  :  3,  (compared  Avith  2  :  4,)  it  un- 
questionably denotes  Christ.  And  since  the  folse  teachers  denied 
that  their  professed  Redeemer  was  their  Lord  or  Sovereign,  and 
infidels  scofied  at  the  very  idea  of  his  appearing  as  Judge,  it 
was  perfectly  natural,  and  meet,  for  the  apostle  to  insist  on  the 
fact  that  he  who  is  Lord  and  Redeemer,  is  one  and  the  same,  full 
both  of  mercy  and  justice.     (2  Pet.  2:1.) 

In  the  two  epistles  different  expressions  are  used  to  denote 
Christ's  second  coming :  1  Pet.  1:7,  "  the  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ."  2  Pet.  3  :  4-10  ;  2  :  9.  "His  coming,"  "  the  day  of  the 
Lord,"  "  the  day  of  Judgment."  Now,  besides  the  fact  that 
these  varied  phrases  are  precisely  suited  to  the  design  of  the 
second  epistle,  it  is  nonsensical  to  assume,  that  one  and  ihe  same 
person  must  always  employ  the  same  expressions,  Avhen  treating 
of  the  same  thing.  And  yet,  this  sophism  is  built  on  this  as- 
sumption !  If  Hodge,  the  well  known  commentator,  were  to 
preach  at  Princeton  on  one  Sabbath,  and  speak  of  '  the  second 
appearing  of  our  Lord,'  and  on  another  Lord's  day,  in  the  city 
of  New  Yoi'k,  were  to  address  the  audience  on  '  the  coming  of 
Christ  to  judge  mankind,'  he  would,  by  this  Higher  Criticism,  be 
proved  thereby,  to  have  lost  his  personal  identity ! 

Again,  the  writer  of  the  second  epistle  does  not  quote  formally 
from  the  Old  Testament,  nor  weave  its  expressions  into  his  let- 
ter, as  is  done  in  the  first  epistle.  But  he  unquestionably  refers 
to  Isa.  65 :  17-25,  and  Isa.  66  :  22-24,  for  he  takes  thence  the  ex- 
pressions, "  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  ; "  nay,  he  refers 
to  it  by  an  indisputable  formula  of  quotation,  "  according  to  his 
promise."  2  Pet.  3:13.  And  how  a  man,  of  delicate  and  dis- 
criminating taste,  can  read  the  second  chapter  of  this  epistle,  and 
especially  his  graphic  descrij^tions  of  the  heretics,  and  not  dis- 


OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.     STYLE.  47 

cover  one  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  very  soul  and  spirit  of  the 
Old  Testament  prophets,  passes  our  comprehension.  In  the  case 
of  Noah  and  the  deluge,  the  destruction  of  the  cities  of  the 
Plain  with  the  deliverance  of  Lot,  his  allusion  likewise  to  Ba- 
laam, and  to  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon,  and  all  in  one  short  chap- 
ter, sufficiently  show  that  the  apostle  Peter  is  the  writer.  The 
discrepancy  asserted  exists,  not  in  the  epistle,  but  in  the  im- 
agination, of  the  objectors.  And  if  Peter  does  not,  in  this 
epistle,  so  often  convey  his  thoughts  by  Old  Testament  plu'ases, 
as  he  does  in  the  first  epistle,  Avhat  demonstration  can  that  fact 
be  that  the  epistle  is  not  genuine  ?  Must  an  apostle  not  have 
the  liberty,  if  at  any  time  he  prefers  it,  to  express  his  thoughts 
in  his  own  language  ?  Besides,  his  reference  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  particularly  to  the  prophetic  portions  of  it,  is  of  itself 
sufticieut  to  refute  this  objection.  2  Pet.  1 :  19-21.  For  he  re- 
fers to  the  canon  of  Scriptm-al  Prophecy,  as  an  indisputable  proof 
of  the  certainty  of  Christ's  second  coming ;  and  that  was  siiffi- 
cient  for  his  scope  in  this  epistle.  And  yet  Davidson  considers 
this  objection  unassailable  ! 

We  assure  our  readers,  that  the  above  specimen  of  objections 
against  this  epistle,  derived  from  its  style  and  construction,  is  no 
caricature ;  *  nor  have  we  selected  the  flimsiest  arguments.  Such 
a  mode  of  assailing  the  genumeness  of  any  writer,  must  be  consid- 
ered wholly  unwarrantable  ;  but  when  it  is  applied  to  a  sacred 
writer,  it  borders  on  the  skeptical  and  profane. 

Neander,  however,  in  the  place  before  referred  to,  enters  into 
no  details  whatever,  but  assumes  a  total  disparity  of  style  in  this 
epistle,  when  compared  with  the  first ;  as  if  it  were  a  matter  too 
manifest  to  be  proved ! 

There  is  one  characteristic  of  Peter's  style — a  leading  and 
striking  one— which  has  been  overlooked  by  grammatical  hair- 
splitters  and  Avord-explainers ;  and  this  peculiarity  appears  de- 


*See  Davidson's  Int.  New  Testament,  vol.  3,  p.  430,  etc. 


48        RHETORICAL  ANALOGY  BETWEEN  THE  TWO  EPISTLES. 

cidedly  in  both  epistles,  showing  that  both  proceeded  from  the 
ajiostle.  The  rhetorical  figures  employed  by  him  are,  so  to 
speak,  chiefly  meant  for  the  eye :  he  shows  a  liking  for  visual 
imagery.  We  begin  with  specimens  from  the  first  epistle^  with 
occasional  citations,  or  references,  to  the  second. 

He  calls  the  Christians  addressed  "  Strangers^''  (l :  1,)  in  the 
world.  '■'•Sojourners  and  Strangers,''''  2:  11.  We  may  follow 
them  with  our  eye  as  they  walk,  faint  and  wearied  through  the 
wilderness. 

He  declares  that  God's  renewed  children  have  an  inheritance, 
or  patrimony,  that  is  "  incorruptible,''''  incapable  of  decay ;  they 
will  never  perceive  it  to  be  dust  and  ashes  in  their  hands.  It  is 
likewise  '■'•  imdefiled  f  not  a  blot  or  stain  of  sin  will  ever  be  detected 
on  it.  And  '•'•  it  fadeth  not  away /''^ 'it  is  an  amaranthine  patri- 
mony, fresh  and  fair  as  a  new-blown  rose,  the  fragrance  of  which 
will  ever  be  delightful.     1:4;  comp.  5:4. 

To  show  that  the  inheritance  is  secured  for  such,  he  says,  that 
it  is  "  guarded  on  Mgh^''  or  kept  in  the  heavens,  "  for  them." 
And,  moreover,  that  "  they  are  garrisoned  in  God''s  joower,"  as 
in  an  impregnable  fortress,  by  "  faith  for  salvation."     1 :  4,  5. 

Speaking  of  the  joy  of  those  who  believe  in,  and  love  Christ, 
his  expressions  are :  "  Ye  leap  up,  with  joy  unspeakable,  and  glo- 
rified."    Comp.  4:13.     (Gr.) 

"  Which  things  angels  desire  to  look  into  ;  "  to  bend  doion  and 
get  a  near  look  at,  as  the  original  signifies.     1:12. 

"  Wherefore,  by  girding  up  the  loitis  of  your  mind,  by  Jceep>ing 
sober,  hope,  to  the  end,  for  the  Grace  that  is  to  be  brought  to  you,''^ 
(presented,  put  in  your  hands,)  "  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ." 
1:  13. 

"  Wherefore,  laying  aside  all  malice."     2:1. 

"  The  laying  aside  of  my  tent,''"'     2  Pet.  1  :  14. 

"  Coming  to  whom,  a  living  stone,  ye,  also,  as  living  stones 
are  built  up,  a  spiritual  house,  a  coJisecrated  company  of  priests, 
to  offer  up  spiritual   sacrifices.''''     1  Pet.  2  :  4,  5. 


RHETORICAL  ANALOGY  BETWEEN  THE  TWO  EPISTLES.      49 

"  They  strike  against  the  Word,"  2:  8.  "Fleshly  lusts,  Avhich 
war  against  the  soul."     2:11. 

"  Jb  muzzle  these  foolish  men's  ignorance."     2:15. 

"  Not  only  to  the  good  and  gentle,  but  also  to  the  crooJced,''''  2:18. 

"  If  one  bear  up  under  griefs."     2:19. 

"  That  ye  shoiddfolloio  closely  his  foot  prints.''''     2  :  21 

"  We  did  7iot  follow  cunningly  devised  fables;"  we  did  not 
take  them  ns  our  guides.     2  Pet.  1:16;  comp.  2  Pet.  2 :  2,  15. 

"That  your  prayers  he  not  hindered ;''"'  i.  <?.,  cut  q^'and  fall 
like  a  tree,  according  to  one  reading  ;  according  to  another,  that 
no  trenches  be  dug  by  your  own  hands  to  prevent  your  approach 
to  God.     3:  7. 

"  Arm  yourselves  with  the  same  mind."  4:1.  "  Take  a  loic 
place,  then,  tender  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  that  he  may  lift  you 
tip  in  due  time."  '^Casting  o^all  your  anxiety  on  him.''''  "^e 
sober,  keep  aicake.''''     5  :  6-8. 

"  Ye  shall  carry  ojf''  (bear  away)  "  a  crown  of  glory,  that 
fadeth  not  axoay?''  5:4;  comp.  1 :  9.  (Gr.)  "  Shall  carry  off 
the  pay  (wages)  of  unrighteousness."     2  Pet.  2:  13. 

"This  is  the  true  grace  of  God,  in  which  ye  stand."  5  :  12. 
"  For  if  ye  have  these  things,  and  they  abound,  they  make  you 
stand  neither  idle,"  etc.     2  Pet.  1  :  8.     (Gr.) 

But  the  same  striking  peculiarity  of  style  appears  also  in  the 
second  epistle  ;  the  same  fondness  for  rhetorical  figures  derived 
from  the  sense  of  sight.  Thus,  he  describes  one  destitute  of  the 
virtues  mentioned,  1 :  5,  7,  as  short-sighted,  1  :  9.  And  true 
Christians,  richly  clad  with  these  graces,  as  triumphantly  entering 
into  the  everlasting  kingdom  and  Saviour.  1:11.  He  compares 
"  the  Prophetic  Word"  to  "  a  lamp  shining  in  a  dismal  place,"  to 
which  we  must  "  attend  xmtil  daylight  shall  burst  through."  1:19. 

He  paints  the  fidse  teachers  as  those  irho  shall  smuggle  irdo  the 
church  deadly  heresies ;  as  bringing  down  on  their  own  heads, 
as  a  crushing  stone,  swift  destruction.  2:1.  As  avaricious  mer- 
chants, making  a  gainful  trade  of  their  disciples,  buying  and  sell- 


50  OBJECTIONS  REPUTED. 

ing  them  as  a  bale  of  goods.  2  :  3.  The  doom  of  siich  teachers 
lingers  not ;  their  destruction  slumbers  not.  And  in  illustrating 
the  certainty  of  their  punishment,  he  says :  "  For  if  God  spared 
not  angels,  when  they  sinned,  but  hurling  them  doion  to  hell, 
bound  in  chains  of  darkness,"  etc.  Here  the  same  Peter  ap- 
pears before  us ;  the  same  delight  in  visual  figures  is  indubitable. 
And  the  reason  why  this  peculiaiity  is  more  frequently  exhibited 
in  the  second  chapter  of  the  second  epistle  is,  because  the 
apostle's  mind  is  more  excited  than  usual;  being  justly  indignant 
when  describing  the  feigned  doctrines  and  shameful  behavior  of 
those  heretics,  whose  portraits  he  has  taken  with  no  ordinary 
pencil.  This  very  objection  then,  to  which  such  undue  importance 
has  been  attached,  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  when  care- 
fully examined,  is  found  to  be  not  a  principal  mark  of  spurious- 
ness,  but  a  weighty  proof  of  the  genuineness  of  this  epistle, 

(2.)  Having  shown  the  rhetorical  analogy  existing  in  the  two 
epistles,  and  proved  that  the  pretended  grammatical  disparity 
dwells  nowhere  but  in  the  fancy  of  critics,  we  proceed  to  the  next 
principal  objection.  Neander  takes  for  granted,  as  before,  that  the 
author  of  this  second  epistle  partly  imitated  and  partly  copied 
the  epistle  of  Jude.  But  is  this  so  evident  that  we  can  assent  to 
it  without  one  grain  of  proof?  On  the  contrary,  Jude  evidently 
made  use  of  this  second  epistle,  from  the  fact,  that  he  cites  2 
Pet.  3 :  3,  as  before  shown. 

(3)  It  is  supposed  that  the  writer  of  this  epistle  speaks  of  him- 
self as  the  personal  teacher  of  those  addressed,  which  does  not 
correspond  with  Peter's  relation  to  the  churches,  as  stated  in  the 
first  epistle.  If  this  were  indeed  the  fact,  it  would  be  a  weighty 
objection.  But  v;here  does  the  author  of  this  letter  declare  or 
imply,  that  he  had  been  the  oral  inst^^uctor  of  the  churches  in  the 
five  provinces  ?  When  he  says  :  "  We  made  knovm  to  you  the 
power  and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  2  Pet.  1:  16,.  it 
necessarily  follows  that  he  taught  them  that  truth  by  his  own 
lips.    A  truth  can  be  made  known  by  the  pen,  as  well  as  by  the 


OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.  51 

inoutli.  The  reference  is,  not  to  his  oral  instruction,  but  to  the 
first  epistle.  5:  4;  4:  13;  1:  5<f^7>,  13.  Paul  also  uses  the 
verb  in  the  same  way,  1  Cor.  12:  3:  "Wherefore,  lam  making 
knoicn  to  you,  that  no  one  speaking  by  the  spirit  of  God  calleth 
Jesus  accursed ; "  where  Paul  refers  to  ^ohat  is  written  in  that 
verse.  Compare  1  Cor.  15:  1,  with  the  third  verse,  where  the  ex- 
pression, "  Jam  maJciiui  known  to  you  the  gospel,"  refers  to  his 
written  defence  of  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  which  he  Avas 
then  making;  and  the  phrases,  "which  I  preached  to  you,"  "for 
I  delivered  to  you,"  refer  to  his  former  oral  teaching.  The  argu- 
ment of  Neander  then,  on  this  topic,  "vanishes  into  thin  air." 

(4.)  "The  solicitude  with  which  he  endeavors  to  make  him- 
self known  as  the  apostle  Peter,  betrays  an  apocryphal  writer." 
A  wonderful  argument,  truly !  As  if  an  apostle,  warning  the 
churches  against  false  teachers,  should  not  insist  on  the  fact  that 
he  was  indeed  a  legate  of  Christ !  Besides,  the  same  way  of 
arguing  on  which  Neander  here  leans,  would  SAveep  away  at 
once  both  the  epistles  to  the  Corinthians,  and  the  ejjistle  to  the 
Galatians  ;  and  yet  these  letters  were  unquestionably  written  by 
Paul,  and  have  been  always  and  universally  acknowledged  and 
received  as  such.     What  then  does  such  reasoning  prove  ? 

(5.)  "The  allusion  to  the  words  of  Christ,  John  21:  18,  is 
brought  forward  in  an  unsuitable  manner,  2  Pet.  1 :  14."  In  ichat 
respect  this  allusion  is  ^msuitahle,  the  objector  has  not  conde- 
scended to  inform  us.  The  author  of  this  epistle  alludes  to  his 
swiftly  approaching  death  as  a  motive,  urging  him  to  write  this 
letter,  designed  to  put  the  chui'ches  on  their  guard  against  false 
teachers.  Noav,  where  is  the  consistency  of  his  alluding  to  his 
swiftly  approaching  martyrdom  for  the  truth,  Avhile  in  the  very 
act  of  writing  for  the  last  time  in  its  defence  and  confirmation  ? 

There  are  ancient  ecclesiastical  writers  who  say,  that  Peter  was 
crucified  not  only,  but  with  his  head  downward ;  and  that  the 
apostle  himself  desired  to  be  so  crucified  !*    Such  miserable  stuff, 

*  These  writers  are  the  celebrated  Origen,  (see  Eusebius,  E.  H.,  III.  1,)  and 

Jerome.     (De  Y.  E.,  cap.  I.) 


52  OBJECTIONS  REFUTED. 

"  taken  from  the  dragnet  of  antiquity,"  surely  betrays  a  writer 
over  credulous,  embracing  a  false  and  morbid  humility.  But  the 
writer  of  this  epistle  shows  not  the  least  symptom  of  such  a 
sickly  temper  of  mind.  He  simply  refers  to  what  the  Lord  had 
told  him  as  to  the  manner  of  his  death,  and  gives  the  near  ap- 
proach of  that  death  as  a  reason  why  he  is  so  anxious  to  guard 
and  feed  the  flock  addressed.  In  this,  what  is  there  unsuitable  ? 
Nay,  is  it  not  in  all  respects  suited  to  the  character  of  the  apostle 
Peter,  who  loved  both  Christ  and  his  people  so  fervently  ? 

(6.)  "In  order  to  distinguish  himself  as  a  credible  Avitness  of 
the  life  of  Christ,  he  appeals  to  the  phenomena  at  the  transfigu- 
ration. But  it  certainly  is  not  natural  to  sujij^ose  that  one  of  the 
apostles  should  select  and  bring  forward  from  the  whole  life  of 
Christ,  of  which  they  had  been  eye-witnesses,  this  insulated  fact, 
which  was  less  essentially  connected  with  that  which  was  the 
central  point  and  object  of  his  appearance ;  the  apostles  were 
rather  accustomed  to  claim  credit  as  witnesses  of  the  suffering 
and  resurrection  of  Clmst." 

Neander  in  this  paragraph,  shows  that  he  has  altogether  mis- 
taken the  design  of  the  writer  of  this  epistle  in  his  appeal  to 
what  took  place  at  the  Transfiguration  of  our  Lord ;  it  was  not 
to  designate  himself  as  a  credible  witness  of  Christ's  life  and  suf- 
ferings on  earth,  during  his  first  appearing  among  men  ;  though 
he  was  such  a  witness.  (1  Pet.  5:1.)  Neither  is  this  wonder- 
ful fact,  the  transfiguration,  an  insulated  one,  but  connected  most 
intimately  with  Christ's  second  coming  in  power  and  glory,  to 
recompense  both  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  and  especially 
false  teachers  and  scoiFers.  And  the  writer  of  this  epistle  alludes 
to  it  for  this  end  as  a  sample,  or  specimen  of  the  manner  in 
which  our  Lord  is  to  come  the  second  time  to  our  world.  (Comp. 
1  :  16-18,  with  1 :  5-11,  and  see  2  :  1,  3,  9  ;  3  :  3,  4,  7-13.  The 
reference  therefore,  when  properly  understood,  is  in  perfect 
keeping  with  the  main  design  of  the  epistle ;  and  the  most  plau- 
.sible  argument  of  the  critic  is  based  on  "  an  egregious  blunder ;" 


OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.  53 

demonsti-ating  that  the  cliicf  scope  of  this  epistle,  was  not  dis- 
cerned by  him,  at  least,  in  the  reference  of  its  writer  to  the  trans- 
fignration. 

We  are  told  indeed,  that  "  the  apostles  were  accustomed  to 
claim  credit  as  witnesses  of  the  sufferings  and  resurrection  of 
Christ."  But  why,  unless  to  prove  by  the  correspondence  of 
facts  in  Christ's  life  with  Scriptural  Prophecy,  that  he  who  had 
come  in  the  flesh,  was  in  truth  the  Messiah  and  the  only  Saviour  ? 
(See  Acts  2  :  22-36.)  But  does  it  follow  from  this,  that  an 
apostle  may  not,  and  must  not  refer  to  Christ's  transfiguration  as 
a  proof,  or  specimen  of  his  ability  to  come  again  as  King  and 
Judge,  as  a  picture  of  the  manner  of  his  appearing  ?  Will  we 
believe  the  apostles  only  Avhen  they  are  witnesses  of  Christ's 
prophetical  and  priestly  office,  but  disbelieve  their  testimony  in 
refei-ence  to  his  kingly  and  judicial  office  ?  Why  did  the  apostle 
of  the  Gentiles  write  his  epistles  to  the  Thessalonians  ?  Was  it 
that  Ave  might  sneer  at  the  testimony  given  m  them,  of  Christ's 
second  coming  ?  Neander's  objections  then  as  to  this  matter, 
are  worthless,  being  altogether  irrelevant. 

He  also  says,  that  by  calling  the  mountain  on  which  the  trans- 
figuration occurred,  "  the  holt/  mount,"  the  hand  of  a  later  writer 
is  shown ;  and  the  only  reason  given  is  that  Mount  Zion,  usually 
called  holy,  can  not  be  meant.  But  who  supposes  that  Zion  is 
intended  ?  Would  not  this  mode  of  reasoning,  (if  such  it  can  be 
called,)  prove,  that  wherever  in  any  part  of  Scripture  Mount 
Zion  is  called  "  holy,"  a  forger  had  been  busy  ?  But  the  Jews, 
it  may  be  said,  were  familiar  with  such  a  use  of  the  term,  since 
their  laAV  ascribes  holiness  to  certain  places,  as  well  as  persons. 
True,  but  why?  Is  it  not  owing  to  the  fact,  such  persons  were 
especially  consecrated  to  God's  service;  and  that  such  places 
were  distinguished  by  extraordinary  manifestations,  permanent 
or  temporary,  of  God's  presence?  And  was  there  not  such  a 
manifestation  of  the  divine  presence  on  the  mount  where  Christ 
was  transfigured  ?     Beyond  all  doubt  there  Avas.     To  deny  it,  is 


54  •  OBJECTIONS  REFUTED. 

to  step  beyond  to  the  ranks  of  the  skeptical  army.  !Neander  might 
as  well  consider  the  book  of  Exodus  a  spiirious  production ;  for 
when  Jehovah  the  Son,  appeared  to  Moses,  he  called  the  place 
where  he  then  manifested  himselfj  "holy."  (Ex.  3:  5,  with 
John  1 :  18.) 

The  circumstances  that  excite  suspicion  concerning  the  author 
of  this  epistle,  are  in  his  view,  the  following : 

(1.)  He  thinks  it  a  suspicious  circumstance  that  "  Jude  speaks 
of  the  false  teachers  as  actually  existing,  but  the  writer  of  this 
epistle  as  about  to  appear."  But  we  have  before  proved  that  Jude 
made  use  of  this  epistle,  and  hence  wrote  subsequently.  Besides, 
as  before  shown,  the  germs  of  the  heresies  foreshown  in  their  fu- 
ture development,  were  already  working  when  this  ei^istle  was 
writen. 

(2.)  "The  doubts  respecting  Christ's  second  coming,  and  the 
disappointment  felt,  because  of  its  delay,"  furnish  no  good  grounds 
to  suspect  the  authenticity  of  the  letter.  For  the  Thessalonians 
made  a  mistake  as  to  Christ's  coming  which  Paul  corrected. 
(2  Thess.  2.)  Now  the  evidence  for  the  genuineness  of  these 
epistles  is  overwhelming :  they  can  not  be  suspected  on  such  a 
groxmd  as  this.  Besides,  the  believers  addressed  in  this  letter, 
"had  no  such  doubts,  and  felt  no  such  disappointment.  The 
writer  refers  to  unbelievers,  who  sneered  at  Christ's  coming  as  a 
pure  dream  of  superstitious  men.     3  :  3,  4. 

(3.)  "What  is  said  of  the  origin  of  the  world  from  water,  and 
its  destruction  by  fire,  does  not  correspond  to  the  simplicity  and 
practical  spirit  of  the  apostolic  doctrine,  but  rather  indicates  the 
spirit  of  a  later  age,  mingling  much  that  was  foreign  with  the 
religious  interest."  But  why  should  any  entertain  a  suspicion 
of  the  genuineness  of  the  epistle  because  of  what  the  writer  says, 
as  to  the  origin  of  our  world?  Is  it  inconsistent  with  the 
Mosaic  cosmogony?  And  has  a  better  cosmogony  ever  been 
published  ? 

And  as  to  its  destruction  by  fire,  the  Avriter  of  this  epistle  does 


OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.  55 

not  teach  that  our  world  is  to  be  driven  back  into  nothingness,  or 
annihilated ;  but  that  it  is  to  undergo  a  great  change  by  fire,  and 
then,  in  its  renovated  state,  to  become  the  abode  of  the  righteous. 
And  is  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  too  weak  to  effect  this  ?  Is  his 
promise  unworthy  of  credit?     Isa.  65:  IV  ;  66:  22. 

Neither  does  the  author  of  this  letter  speak  of  this  change,  as 
a  mere  natural  philosopher,  but  with  the  true  practical  spirit  of 
an  apostle,  as  is  evident  from  his  animated  exhortation  to  holi- 
ness, mingled  with  his  description  of  the  awful  scene.    3:  11,  12. 

What  Neander  means,  by  the  writer's  mingling  foreign  mat- 
ters with  the  religious  interest,  is  not  easy  to  understand.  If  he 
refers  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Stoics  and  others,  about  the  de- 
struction of  our  world  by  fire,  then  he  should  have  demonstrated 
two  things :  first,  that  their  doctrine,  and  that  taught  in  this  epis- 
tle, is  one  and  the  same ;  and  next,  that  it  is  a  false  doctrine ; 
otherwise  there  is  no  reason  to  suspect  that  Peter  is  not  the 
author  of  this  letter. 

(4.)  "The  mode  of  citing  the  Pauline  epistles,  confirms  also 
the  suspicion  against  the  genuineness  of  this  epistle.  A  passage 
from  Rom.  2 :  4,  is  cited  in  3 :  15,  as  if  this  epistle  were  address- 
ed to  the  same  -church." 

Here,  again,  the  ci-itic  takes  for  granted  the  very  thing  he 
should  have  proved.  The  passage  from  Rom.  2  :  4,  is  as  follows : 
"  Or  despiseth  thou  the  riches  of  his  goodness,  and  forbearance, 
and  long-sufifiriug ;  not  knowing  that  the  goodness  of  God  lead- 
eth  thee  to  repentance?'''*  Is  this  text  cited  in  2  Pet.  3:  15? 
"And  account  the  long-suffering  of  our  Lord  salvation.''''  What 
proof  have  we  of  it,  except  the  mere  say-so  of  the  objector  ? 
What  then  is  the  reference  ?  We  reply,  that  1  Tim.  2 :  4,  and 
Eph.  3:  1-7,  are  alluded  to  in  3:  15 ;  the  destination  of  both  <»f 
which  epistles,  was  Ephesus  in  Asia,  the  proconsular  Asia  men- 
tioned, 1  Pet.  1 :  1.  That  the  allusions  are  as  stated,  will  appear 
from  citing  the  passages.  "And  account  the  long-suffering  of 
our  Lord  salvation,  even  as  our  beloved  brother  Paul,  also,  ac- 


56  OBJECTION'S  REFUTED. 

cording  to  the  tcisdom  given  unto  him,  wrote  unto  youP  2  Pet. 
3:15.  "For  this  is  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  owy 
Saviour,  who  will  have  all  men  to  he  saved^  and  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth."  1  Tim.  2 :  4.  The  first  clause  of 
2  Pet.  3:  15,  is  an  allusion  to  this  passage  of  Paul,  and  both 
convey  in  substance  the  same  sentiment.  The  writer  of  this 
epistle  declares,  that  the  apparent  delay  of  the  great  day  should 
be  considered  by  men  as  furnishing  them  with  opportunities  to 
obtain  salvation.  And  Paul  says,  that  God  our  Saviour  is  de- 
termined to  save  men  of  all  classes,  whether  in  private  or  public 
life,  and  hence,  gives  them  oi)portunities  of  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  gospel  or  the  truth,  as  to  the  way  of  salvation. 

"For  this  cause,  I  Paul,  Cln-ist's  prisoner,  for  you  Gentiles. 
Since  ye  have  heard  of  the  dispensation  of  the  grace  of  God 
which  has  been  given  me  for  yoxir  sakes:  that  by  revelation  the 
mystery  has  been  made  known  unto  me,  as  I  wrote  just  before 
briefly,  in  reference  to  which  mattei*,  ye  can,  by  reading,  perceive 
my  understanding  in  the  mystery  of  Christ,  which  in  other  gene- 
rations was  not  made  known  to  the  sons  of  men,  as  now  it  is 
revealed  to  his  holy  apostles  and  prophets  by  the  Spirit ;  that  the 
Gentiles  are  fellow-heirs,  and  of  the  same  body,  and  partakers 
of  his  promise  in  Christ  by  the  gospel ;  of  which  [gospel]  I  be- 
came a  minister,  according  to  the  gift  of  God''s.  grace  that 
has  been  given  me,  by  the  effectual  working  of  his  power." 
Eph.  3 :  1-7. 

Here  are  clear  and  abundant  expressions,  corresponding  to  the 
latter  clcmse  of  2  Pet.  3:  15,  Avritten  too  in  the  first  instance,  to 
Christians  dwelling  in  the  capital  city  of  the  Roman  province, 
Asia.  This  objection  of  Neander  then,  when  sifted,  is  found  to  be 
no  better  than  chaff;  and  when  the  real  allusions  of  the  writer  of 
this  epistle  are  discovered,  they  furnish,  as  we  have  seen,  a  point- 
ed and  convincing  proof  of  the  genuineness  of  his  letter. 

(5.)  "A  collection  of  all  the  Pauline  epistles  is  referred  to,  and 


OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.  57 

it  is  assumed,  that  Paul,  in  all  of  them,  referred  to  one  subject, 
Avhich  yet  by  no  means,  appears  in  all." 

Neander  seems  to  suppose  tliat  a  collection  of  Paul's  epistles 
could  not  have  been  made  until  the  second  century,  and  hence 
he  is  led  to  suspect  the  authenticity  of  this  epistle.  "But,"  re- 
plies Olshausen,*  "this  assumption  that  the  collection  of  the 
Pauline  epistles  Avas  first  made  at  so  late  a  period,  is  by  no  means 
susceptible  of  proof.  Indeed,  in  the  fourth  chapter,  we  attempted 
to  prove  it  not  improbable  that  even  Paul  himself  made  a  collec- 
tion of  his  epistles.  At  all  events,  no  historical  fact  can  be  ad- 
duced against  this  hypothesis,  and  Ave  must,  therefore,  consider 
this  much  as  certain,  that  the  mention  of  a  collection  of  Paul's 
epistles  ought  not  to  induce  us  to  conclude  against  the  apostolic 
origin  of  this  epistle." 

Paul's  epistles  Avere  A'ery  highly  esteemed  by  the  primitiA'e 
Christians,  and  Paul  himself  earnestly  urged  them  to  read  and 
circulate  his  letters.  1  Thess.  5  :  27;  Col.  4:  16.  And  Avhen  a 
church,  or  society  of  believers,  received  a  letter  from  the  great 
apostle,  Avhat  niore  natural  than  to  suppose  that  they  Avould 
send,  as  soon  as  possible,  an  accurate  copy  of  it  to  one  or  more 
of  the  nearest  churches,  and  they  again  to  others?  And  since 
Paul's  epistles  Avere  Avritten  before  Peter  sent  forth  his,  Avhat  ab- 
surdity is  there  in  supposing  the  Christians  of  Asia  Minor  to  be 
acquainted  A\'itli  them  ?  The  bearers  of  the  Pauline  epistles  had 
abundant  opportunities  before  A.  D.  64,  or  A.  D.  68,  (the  date 
of  his  martydom  assigned  by  chronologists,)  to  go  from  Rome  to 
PJi  llippi  and  Thessalonica  /  from  thence  to  Corinth  /  from  Co- 
rinth, across  the  ^Egean  sea,  to  ^phesiis,  and  so  to  Galatia  and 
Colosse ;  and  yet,  forsooth,  in  Asia  Minor,  tl>e  great  field  of 
Paul's  labors.  Christians  must  be  supposed  to  have  a  collection  of 
his  epistles,  only  after  A.  D.   100  !     Accordingly^  Lardner,  no 


*  •'  Proof  of  the  Genuineness  of  the  Writings  of  the  Now  Testament,"  trans- 
lated by  Fosdick.     (Vol.  I.,  Com'j  ou  the  Gospels.) 


68  OBJECTIONS  REFUTED. 

common  judge  on  a  topic  like  this,  says :  "  Before  the  end  of  the 
first  century,  yea,  not  very  long  after  the  middle  of  it,  it  is  likely 
there  tcere  collections  made  of  the  four  gospels,  and  tnost  of  the 
other  books  of  the  Neio  Testament,  which  toere  in  the  hands  of  a 
good  number  of  churches  and  persons^  (History  of  the  Apos- 
tles and  Evangelists,  Chap.  III.) 

But  it  is  not  necessary  to  suppose  that  the  writer  of  this  epis- 
tle refers  to  a  complete  collection  of  the  Pauline  letters  in  the 
sti'ictest  sense ;  for  when  he  employs  the  clause,  "  As  also  in  all 
his  epistles,"  it  seems  to  be  used  in  manifest  contrast  to  3:15, 
"  Even  as  Paul  wrote  to  youP  (1  Tim.,  Eph.)  So  that  the  sense 
seems  to  be  this:  "  Our  beloved  brother  Paul  wrote,  by  divine  in- 
spiration, especially  to  you  living  in  Ephesus  in  Asia,  or  to  you 
Christians  in  Asia  Minor ;  also,  in  most  of  his  letters,  not  written 
directly  to  you,  he  speaks  of  these  matters."  According  to  this 
view,  "  all "  signifies  '  all  that  are  now  known  to  you,'  or  most ; 
and  this  interpretation  is  not  forced,  or  far-fetched,  but  natural 
an-d  obvious. 

Nor  is  it  self-evident  that  the  author  of  this  letter  takes  it  for 
granted  that  Paul,  in  his  epistles,  "  refers  only  to  07ie  subject^ 
"  Speaking  in  them  of  these  things^''  2  Pet.  3:16.  Now,  since 
2  Pet.  3 :  14-18,  contains  the  conclusion  of  the  ej)istle,  why  may 
we  not  suppose  that  the  writer  refers  to  all  the  leading  topics  set 
forth  in  the  whole  letter  ?  In  the  first  chapter,  the  necessity  of 
growth  in  holiness  is  maintained  as  a  proof,  or  evidence  of  sincere 
acknowledgment  of  Christ,  1 :  5-9  ;  and  as  that  without  which 
none  shall  enter  into  his  future  everlasting  kingdom,  10,  11  vs. 
Then,  the  certainty  of  his  coming  to  reward  the  holy  in  it,  is 
proved  from  the  transfiguration  of  our  Lord,  and  from  the  Pro- 
phetic Word.  In  the  second  chapter,  the  characteristics  and 
doom  of  False  Teachers,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  are  chiefly  set 
forth  \  though  the  deliverance  of  the  righteous  from  a  state  of 
trial  is  also  declared.  In  the  third  chapter  is  foretold  the  rise  of 
scoffers,  who  ridicule  the  second  coming  of  our  Lord  as  "  a  cun- 


OBJECTIONS  REFUTED.  59 

ningly  devised  fable."  After  a  brief  refutation  of  them,  he  di- 
rects his  discourse  to  tlie  j^ious,  and  foretells  tlie  conflagration, 
and  then  the  renovation  of  our  Avorld,  at  Christ's  coming,  as  the 
dwelling  place  of  the  righteous.  "  These  things  "  are  the  chief 
topics  of  this  second  epistle. 

Now  the  author  of  this  epistle  says,  that  Paul,  in  all  of  his 
epistles  known  to  them,  but  not  directly  addressed  to  them, 
speaks  of  these  topics.  Any  one  can  see  for  himself,  that  this  is 
true,  by  studying  the  epistles  to  the  Thessalonians  as  to  the  com- 
ing of  our  Lord  to  reward  the  pious  and  punish  the  wicked ;  and 
the  epistle  to  the  Romans,  with  respect  to  the  renovation  of  the 
Avorld  at  the  same  epoch.  8:  18-23.  With  respect  to  the  pro- 
gress in  holiness,  as  proof  of  a  sincere  profession,  and  as  necessary 
for  admission  into  Christ's  kingdom,  see  Phil.  1  :  27  ;  3:  12-15  ; 
1  Thess.  3:6-8;  12,  13 ;  1  Cor.  6  :  9,  10.  As  to  false  teachers 
and  their  doom,  see  2  Cor.  2  :  17 ;  11 :  13-15  ;  Phil.  3:2;  18,  19. 
The  writer  of  this  epistle  does  not  say  that  Paul  treats  only  of 
these  things  in  the  epistles  referred  to,  but  that  Paul  agrees  Avith 
him  as  to  the  certainty  of  Christ's  coming,  the  place,  and  subjects 
of  his  kingdom  ;  and  the  excision  of  aU  the  unholy,  and  especially 
of  false  teachers  and  scofters,  with  their  disciples  and  imitators; 
all  which  is  true.  This  objection,  therefore,  must  be  considered 
as  harmless  as  an  exploded  bomb. 

(6.)  The  last  objection  is,°  that  in  2  Pet.  3:16,  the  Avriter 
speaks  of  Paul's  epistles  as  having  the  same  authority  with  the 
writings  of  the  Old  Testament.  That  he  does  so,  is  too  evident 
to  be  denied,  although  some  have  forced  another  meaning  out  of 
his  words.  The  terra  "  Scripture,"  (and  also  in  the  plural,  "  Scrip- 
tures,") certainly  means,  in  the  writings  of  the  other  apostles, 
the  books  of  the  Old  Testament.  See  Matt.  21:42;  John  5  :  39  ; 
Rom.  1 :  2  ;  4 :  3.  And  thus  the  term  is  employed  by  Peter  liiin- 
self.  1  Pet.  2  :  6  ;  2  Pet.  1 :  20.  Noav,  in  3 :  16,  the  author  says : 
"Which  things"  (things  or  topics  contained  in  Paul's  epistles,) 
"  they  wrest,  as  also  the  other  Scriptures."    Here  he  certainly 


60  THE  PERSONS  ADDRESSED. 

declares  the  Pauline  Epistles  to  be  inspired  Avritings,  forming  a 
part  of  the  canon  of  Holy  Scripture,  by  putting  them  in  the  same 
class  with  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament. 

But  it  is  unsuitable  for  one  apostle  thus  to  refer  to  the  writings 
of  another  ?  "  An  apostle  would  never  have  done  so,"  says  the 
objector.  (See  also  Calvin  on  2  Pet.  3 :  15.)  Why  not  ?  "Be- 
cause the  apostles  call  the  Old  Testament  Scripture,  or  Scriptures." 
True,  hut  does  it  folloio  from  this,  that  they  did  not  consider 
their  own  writings  also  inspired  of  God,  and  hence,  equally  de- 
serving of  the  name  Scripture  f  It  does  not ;  for  Paul  claims 
inspiration  for  himself  as  pointedly  as  it  is  ascribed  to  him  in  this 
ejiistle.  Gal.  1:  11,  12;  Eph.  3  :  3,  4 ;  1  Thess.  4:  15;  1  Cor. 
14:  37;  (compare  1  John  4  :  6.)  Now,  if  it  was  not  imsuitable 
for  Paul  to  claim  inspiration  for  himself,  how  can  it  be  unsuitable 
for  Peter,  in  opposition  to  false  teachers,  to  give  his  testimony  to 
a  fact  so  evident  and  vmquestionable  ?  And  how  could  he  do  it 
better  than  by  speaking  of  Paul's  epistles  as  Scripture  ? 

We  have  thus  shown  that  the  arguments  of  this  able  and  dis- 
tinguished man,  against  the  genuineness  of  this  epistle,  are  either 
mistaken  in  their  assumptions,  or  that  they  fail  to  prove  the  point 
for  which  they  are  adduced.  His  assaults  therefore,  end  only 
in  smoke ;  no  harm  is  done  thereby  to  the  canon  of  the  New 
Testament.  It  stands  like  an  impregnable  tower,  in  which  dwells 
"  The  Spirit  of  Truth." 

in. — The  p>ersons  addressed. 

These  are  the  same  as  those  written  to,  in  the  first  ej^istle,  viz., 
Christians  of  Jewish  and  Gentile  extraction,  living  in  the  five 
provinces  of  Asia  Minor.  2  Pet.  1  :  1  ;  3:  1,  with  1  Pet.  1  :  1. 
That  Jewish  believers  are  addressed  in  the  first  epistle,  is  evident 
from  1:1;  for  the  word  "  dispersion,"  diaa-Kopd,  M'hen  followed 
by  a  noun  or  nouns  in  the  genitive,  denoting  nation,  tribe,  or 
community,  is  used  to  designate  Jews  disj^ersed  among  such  na- 


THE  SCOPE  OF  THE  EPISTLE.  Gl 

tions  or  tribes,  as  in  John  7  :  35.  (Conip.  Jas.  1:1;  Ps.  14G  :  2, 
in  the  LXX.,  147,  2,  in  the  EngUsh  version  ;  2  Mace.  1  :  27  ;  Ju- 
dith 5  :  19.)  But  that  Gentile  Christians  Avere  also  addressed,  is 
clear  from  1  Pet,  4  :  4,  5.  Besides  the  provinces  of  Asia  Minor 
were  the  great  field  of  the  labors  of  Paul  and  his  helpers ;  and 
that  the  churches  of  these  provinces  were  composed  both  of 
Jewish  and  Gentile  believers,  is  manifest,  not  only  from  the 
Pauline  Epistles,  but  also  from  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  And 
since  2  Pet.  3:1,  makes  it  indubitable  that  this  epistle  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  same  churches  as  the  first,  there  can  be  no  rational 
doubt  respecting  those  for  whom  the  epistles  were  originally  in- 
tended. 

They  who  contend  that  JeAvish  or  Gentile  believers  are,  in  the 
first  instance,  exclusively  addressed,  are  confuted  by  2  Pet.  1:1; 
where  the  apostle  says  that  he  writes  to  those  Avhose  faith  leans 
on  the  righteousness  ot  our  God  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ ;  which 
surely  is  a  characteristic  of  true  believers  as  such,  without  regard 
to  national  distinctions. 

W.—TIie  Scope  of  the  Einstle. 

The  chief  design  of  the  apostle  is  to  assure  them  and  us  of  the 
certainty  of  Christ's  second  coming  as  King  and  Judge ;  and  of 
the  indispensable  necessity  of  personal  increasing  holiness,  on  the 
part  of  those  who  profess  to  be  believers,  in  order  to  sliare  in  the 
bliss  of  our  Lord's  everlasting  kingdom ;  also,  to  warn  them  and 
ns  against  the  wiles  of  false  teachers,  scoffers,  and  their,  follow- 
ers, as  well  as  to  predict  the  awful  doom  which  will  overtake 
them  when  their  judge  has  come. 

A  subordinate  design,  though  an  important  one,  is  to  give  his 
dying  testimony  to  the  agreement  of  Paul  with  himself  in  the 
leading  subjects  of  both  epistles,  and  particularly  of  this  epistle'; 
and  to  testify,  in  opposition  to  false  teachers,  that  the  great 
apostle  of  the  Gentiles  had  been  infalHbly  taught  by  the  Spirit  of 


62  THE  OCCASION  AND  DATE  OF  THE  LETTER. 

Christ.     And  the  necessity  of  giving  such  a  testimony  is  implied 
in  1  Pet.  5:12,  compared  with  1  Pet.  1:12. 

V. — The  occasion  and  date  of  the  Epistle.    Peter' s  martyrdom 
at  Home. 

It  is  not  necessary,  as  ah-eady  intimated,  to  suppose  that  no 
false  teachers,  (having  at  least  some  of  the  features  of  those  de- 
scribed in  this  epistle,)  were  at  work  among  the  churches  in  the 
five  i^rovinces  at  the  time  Avhen  Peter  wrote  his  first  epistle.  For, 
in  his  former  letter,  5:  12,  he  intimates  that  errorists  were  at 
work,  by  assuring  them  that  that  epistle  exhibits  the  true  grace 
of  God ;  or  that  it  is  an  uncontaminated  outline  of  the  genuine 
gospel,  agreeing  with  what  Paul  and  his  co-workers  had  taught 
them,  1  :  12.  (Comp.  2  Pet.  3:  15,  16.)  Hence,  also,  he  sent  ' 
that  letter  to  them  by  the  hands  of  Silas.  In  the  second  epistle 
he  predicts  that  false  teachers  shall  arise  with  more  unblushing- 
impudence,  and  continue,  (as  it  seems  to  us,)  even  to  the  end  of 
the  present  dispensation,  or  down  to  the  time  of  our  Lord's  per- 
sonal arrival ;  2d  and  3d  chapters.  The  zeal  of  such  teachers 
in  sowing  tares  appears  either  to  have  increased,  after  he  had  sent 
his  first  letter  to  the  churches,  or  else  the  apostle  had  received 
more  accurate  information  as  to  their  doings ;  which  induced  him, 
by  the  suggestion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  write  this  second  epistle 
to  "  strengthen  his  brethren  "  against  heresy,  as  he  had  written 
the  first  to  arm  them  against  persecution.  The  occasion  of  writ- 
ing this  epistle  was  accordingly  furnished  by  the  unholy  zeal  of 
false  brethren  ;  at  least,  this  is  the  most  probable  hypothesis. 

As  to  the  date  of  the  letter,  it  is  not  easy  to  decide.  We  know 
indeed  that  it  was  written  shortly  before  the  apostle's  death, 
1:14;  but  the  place  and  time  of  his  death  have  long  been  a  sub- 
ject of  controversy  among  the  learned.  If  he  died  at  Rome,  and 
by  the  order  of  Nero,  it  took  place  either  in  the  year  A.  D.  64,  or 
in  the  year  A.  D.  68 ;  for  these  are  the  dates  assigned  by  different 


PETER'S-  DEATH  AT  ROME.  63 

chi'onologists  to  the  niavtyrclom  of  Paul,  according  as  tliey  as- 
sume one  impi-isonment  of  that  apostle,  or  two.  It  matters  little 
which  opinion  we  embrace,  for  this  is  still  an  ixnsettled  question. 
Schaif  and  Davidson  contend  for  the  former,  Conybeare  and 
Ilowson  for  the  latter  hypothesis ;  to  mention  no  others. 

Since  this  matter  comes  directly  in  our  way,  it  may  be  well  to 
review  the  evidence  as  to  our  apostle's  residence  and  martyrdom 
at  Rome.  There  is  no  allusion  to  Peter's  residence  there  in  the 
epistles  of  Paul  Avhich  Avere  written  from  Rome,  viz.,  those  ad- 
dressed to  the  Ephesians,  Colossians,  Philippians,  Philemon,  and 
the  second  to  Timothy.  It  is  indisputable  therefore,  and  is 
generally  admitted  by  candid  writers,,  that  Peter's  residence  at 
Rome  can  not  be  proved  from  the  New  Testament,  and  that,  if 
ever  he  did  visit  that  city,  he  could  not  have  arrived  there  until 
after  the  second  epistle  to  Timothy  was  written. 

But  he  may  have  arrived  there  after  that  time,  and  been  put  to 
death  in  the  city.  These  are  matters  of  fact  or  fiction,  and  they 
must  be  settled,  if  settled  at  all,  by  historical  evidence.  Other 
witnesses  therefore  must  be  heard,  and  first  let  us  listen  to 
Clement  of  Home.    (A.  D.  70,  or  96.) 

In  his  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,*  chapters  V.  and  VI.,  he 
writes  thus :  "  But,  to  leave  ancient  examples,  let  us  come  to  the 
athlete,  who  existed  quite  recently.  Let  us  take  the  noble  ex- 
amples of  our  own  generation.  On  account  of  zeal  and  envy, 
the  most  eminent  and  upright  pillarsf  were  persecuted  even  unto 
death.  Let  us  put  before  our  eyes  the  excellent  Apostles. 
Peter,  on  account  of  false  zeal,  endured,  not  one,  nor  two,  but 
many  hardships  ;  and  thus,  having  given  his  testimony,  (or,  thus 
martyred,  uuTto  fxaprup  [^jTat,]  )  he  departed  to  the  place  of  Glory 
that  was  befitting.  On  account  of  a  like  zeal,"  (literally  zeal; 
but  Clement  has  just  before  defined  the  kind  meant  by  using  the 
descriptive  adjective,  "false;")   "  Paul,  also,  received  the  prize 

*  Hefele's  Apost.  Pat.  Opera.     3d  edition.  f  Gal.  2 :  ». 


64  PETER'S  DEATH  AT  ROME. 

of  patience  ;  having  borne  chains  seven  times  ;  being  banished, 
and  stoned.  After  having  been  a  preacher  in  the  East  and  in 
the  West,  he  obtained  the  noble  renown  of  his  faith ;  having 
taught  the  whole  world  righteousness,  and  having  come  imder 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  highest  tribunal  of  the  West,  and  given 
his  testimony  to  (or,  having  been  martyred  by)  the  governors  ; 
he  thus,  after  having  become  the  most  eminent  pattern  of  pa- 
tience, was  removed  from  this  Avorld,  and  departed  into  the  Holy 
Place.  (VI-)  With  these  men,  who  had  lived  holily,  there  were 
crowded  together  [assembled,  joined,  or  mustered,  rourot.^  roa; 
dvdpdacv  .  .  .  ffuvrjOpottrOrj  -okh  tzX-T/Ow:  i/J,sy.-w'^^  a  great  mul- 
titude of  the  elect,  who,  on  account  of  a  like  zeal,  having  suf- 
fered many  indignities  and  torments,  became  a  very  beautiful 
example  among  \is." 

The  English  reader  has  now  before  him  a  literal  version  (one 
clause  excepted)  of  that  famous  passage  of  Clement,  about  the 
meaning  of  which  the  learned  have  long  and  earnestly  disputed. 
Clement,  as  it  appears,  in  some  degree  even  from  this  extract,  is 
a  writer  somewhat  florid,  delighting  in  hyperboles,  copious  or 
prolix,  but  honest  and  zealous. 

Some  contend  that  he  refers  to  the  persecution  in  the  time  of 
Domitian ;  others,  as  Dodwell  and  Wake,  to  the  persecution 
in  the  reign  of  Nero.  We  think  the  latter  more  probable,  be- 
cause Clement  is  speaking  of  that  persecution  in  which  Paul  and 
Peter  were  put  to  death,  in  company  with  a  great  multitude  of 
Christians.  "  These  men,  who  had  lived  holily,"  refers  to  Peter 
and  Paul ;  and  the  "  great  multitude  of  the  elect,"  to  the  many 
believers  who  were  put  to  death  in  the  same  persecution.  And 
if  so,  the  place  of  Peter's  martyrdom  was  unquestionably  Pome. 
Neither  is  1  Pet.  5:  13,  an  objection  to  this,  if  Ave  suppose  the 
apostle  to  mean,  by  "  Babylon,"  Pome,  considered  as  the  head- 
quarters of  the  then  idolatrous  and  persecuting  powers.  Such 
an  elliptical  metaphor  would  be  natural,  if  Peter  wrote  that 
epistle  just  before  or  after  the  Neronian  persecution.     And  in 


PETER'S  DEATH  AT  ROME.  65 

our  jitdgment,  the  apostle  does  allude  to  it,  1  Pet.  4:  12-17. 
Silas,  the  bearer  of  the  letter,  as  Schaif  suggests,  could  explain 
it  to  those  addressed.  If  so,  we  learn  from  tlie  Apostle  himself, 
that  he  Avas  in  Rome  in  the  year  63,  or  64,  or  in  both. 

The  clause,  of  Clement,  not  literally  translated  above,  is  the 
following :  xa[:  ^-}]  rd  repij.a  ri^t  durrsiu^  t).0(av.  The  literal  ver- 
sion is  :  "  Having  come  to  the  limit  of  the  West.''''  Some  under- 
stand by  "  the  limit  of  the  West,"  the  city  of  Rome ;  but  this 
is  building  a  castle  in  the  air.  Others  suppose  that  Clement  in- 
tended to  signify,  thereby,  Spain  or  England.  Either  of  these 
countries,  indeed,  to  Christians  living  at  Rome  in  the  first  cen- 
tury, might  well  enough  be  considered  as  their  "  far  west."  But 
if  Clement  had  designed  to  express  such'a  thought, — for  example, 
that  Paul  visited  Spain, — he  would  not  have  blundered  so  as  to 
use  the  participle,  "  having  come.''''  In  that  case  he  would  have 
said,  '■'•  having  dejMrted  to  the  \m\\t  oi  the 'We^t  ■.''''  ~opeuOa{^,  not 
UOiov.  This  clause,  therefore,  furnishes  no  evidence  that  Paul 
fulfilled  his  intention  of  visiting  Spain. 

The  preposition  l-\  above  rendered  to,  is  not  found  in  the 
manuscript  of  Clement's  epistle,  but  was  supplied  to  fill  up  the 
gap  by  the  editor  Junius.  It  is  not  clear,  however,  that  he  se- 
lected the  very  preposition  originally  employed  by  Clement.  For 
Clement  might  have  used  u-o,  '<  under."  This  mode  of  supplying 
what  is  wanting,  was  proposed  by  Wieseler,  and  is  adopted  ]>y 
Schaflf;*  at  least,  he  is  favorably  inclined  to  it.  According  to 
this  suggestion,  the  version  of  the  clause  must  be  as  follows : 
Having  come  under  (the  jurisdiction  of)  the  highest  tribunal  of 
the  West.  In  English,  the  word  tertn  (derived  from  terma,  here 
used  by  Clement,)  is  employed  in  law,  to  denote  "  the  time  in 
which  a  court  is  held,  or  open  for  the  trial  of  causes ;"  and  there 
is  no  absurdity  in  supposing  that  terma  is  used  here  by  Clement 
to  designate  the  "Supreme  Court"  of  the  West.     Paul  appealed 


*  "History  of  the  Apostolic  Church,"  §  87,  p.  .'542. 
5 


66  PETER'S  MARTYRDOM  AT  ROME. 

unto  Csesar,  and  was  tried  by  imperial  authority  at  Rome  ;  or,  as 
Clement  says,  "  came  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Supreme 
Court,"  that  court  beyond  which  appeals  could  no  farther  go; 
that  court  which  was  the  boundary,  or  limit  of  the  then  legal  and 
judicial  authority, 

Dionysius  of  CorintJ),  in  his  letter  to  the  Romans,  testifies, 
that  "Peter  and  Paul  came  into  Italy,  and  suffered  martyrdom 
there,  about  the  same  time."  (Euseb.  E.  H.,  11.^  25.)  Irenmus 
says,  "  they  founded  the  church  of  Rome,"  or  established  it  more 
firmly  on  its  foundations ;  which,  of  course,  implies  that  Peter  must 
have  been  in  the  city.  (Adv.  Haer.  III.,  3 :  Euseb.  E.  H.,  V.,  8.) 
The  testimony  of  Caius  is  thus  given  by  Eusebius:  "If  you  will 
go  to  the  Vatican,  or  Ostian  Way,  you  will  find  the  trojDhies  of 
those  who  founded  this  church."  "Happy  church,"  exclaims 
Tertullian,  "for  whose  benefit  the  Apostles  poured  forth  their 
doctrine  with  their  blood !  where  Peter  suffered  like  his  Lord ; 
where  Paul  was  crowned  with  martyrdom,  after  the  manner  oj 
John"  (the  Baptist.)  Jjcictantms  says,  that  Peter  came  to  Rome 
in  the  reign  of  Nero,  and  was  by  his  order  crucified,  and  Paul 
slain.  (De  Mort.  Persec,  cap.  2.)  Indeed,  this  is  the  uncontra- 
dicted testimony  of  the  ancients,  and  the  fact,  therefore,  should 
be  admitted.  As  to  the  fables  that  have  been  mingled  with  the 
fact  of  Peter's  death  at  Rome,  (such  as  his  long  residence  in  that 
city,  and  the  ridiculous  stories  about  his  contests  with  Simon 
Magus,) '  these  are  easily  accounted  for,  and  should  not  shake 
our  belief  of  that  in  which  all  the  witnesses  agree. 

Conybeare  and  Howson*  seem  to  think  that  the  testimony  of 
the  ancients  as  to  this  matter,  is  suspicious,  because  it  might  have 
originated  in  a  desire  to  exalt  unduly  the  bishops  of  Rome.  But 
surely  we  may  carry  our  skepticism  too  fiir ;  and  even  if  some  of 
the  ancients  were  swayed  by  such  a  motive,  as  is  likely  in  what 
they  said  of  the  duration  of  Peter's  residence  in  that  city,  and 

*  "Life  and  Epistles  of  Paul."    Vol.  2,  chap.  2t,  (note.) 


PETER'S  MARTYRDOM  AT  ROME.  67 

his  teaching  there,  still  this  Avould  not  demonstrate  that  his 
death  in  Rome  is  a  fable  ;  for  in  this  particular  there  is  no  dis- 
senting voice.  Besides,  those  reformers,  and  their  followers, 
who  denied  that  Peter  ever  set  his  foot  in  the  streets  of  Rome, 
and  died  there,  may  have  been  too  much  influenced  by  polemic 
zeal,  as  well  as  some  of  the  ancients,  by  unhallowed  ambition. 

That  Peter  and  Paul  laid  the  foundations  of  the  church  at 
Rome,  in  the  strict  sense,  is  certainly  a  fable  ;  and  if  Caius  of 
Rome,  and  Ireiid&us  intended  so  to  testify,  they  either  blundered 
grossly,  or  deliberately  made  a  false  statement ;  but  Avhy  they 
should  so  foolishly  perjure  themselves,  is  unaccountable,  when 
we  recollect  that  any  Christian  might  readily  perceive,  by  read- 
ing Paul's  epistle  to  the  Romans,  that  a  flourishing  church,  a 
church  "whose  faith  was  spoken  of  throughout  the  whole  world," 
(Rom.  1  :  8,)  existed  in  the  city  before  the  visit  of  either  of  the 
great  apostles.  It  is  fairer,  therefore,  to  suppose  that  these  ancient 
writers  meant  to  say  that  they  established  it  more  firmly  on  the 
Rock,  Christ.  (Compare  Rom.  1:11.)  The  Papal  assumption, 
however,  that  Peter  was  Bishop  of  Rome,  or  Pope,  for  twenty  or 
twenty-tive  years,  is  a  pure  fiction^  unsupported  by  credible  tes- 
timony. Neither  Clement  of  Rome,  the  most  unexceptionable 
witness,  nor  Irenseus,  nor  Caius,  nor  Tertullian,  nor  Lactantius, 
so  testify.*  "This  view  also,  conti'adicts  the  plainest  facts  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  cannot  stand  a  moment  before  the  bar  of 
criticism."    (See  Schaif's  History  of  the  Apostolic  Church,  §  93.) 

On  the  subjects  of  this  chapter,  beside  the  authors  already 
mentioned,  Lardner  may  be  consulted,  in  his  "  History  of  the 
Apostles  and  Evangelists,"  chapters  XVIIL,  XIX.,  Davidson,  in 
his  Introduction  to  the  New  Testament,  Vol.  III.,  p.  354,  etc., 
and  Neander,  in  his  Planting  and  Training  of  the  Church,  book 


=<■  Eusebius  and  Jerome  first  gave  currency  to  this  ridiculous  story.  How 
they  enlarnred  their  throats,  so  as  to  swallow  such  a  camel,  is  hard  to  say.  Per- 
)i>T)S  their  time-serving  had  something  to  do  with  it. 


68  THE  INTEGRITY  OF  THE  EPISTLE. 

4,  chap.  2,     Barrow  on  the  Supremacy  of  the  Pope  is  the  best 
work  on  that  topic  in  English. 

VI. — Tlie  Integrity  of  the  Epistle. 

This  epistle,  as  we  now  have  it,  is  contained  in  all  the  manu- 
scripts and  versions  of  the  New  Testament  that  have  come  down 
to  us  in  a  complete  state  ;  the  old  Syriac  version  excepted.  Its 
uncorrupted  preservation  is,  therefore,  as  certain  as  a  fact  of 
that  kind  can  be.  The  same  thing  is  demonstrated  from  the 
citations  found  in  ancient  authors.  And  yet,  Bunsen*  supposes 
that  2  Pet.  1  :  1-11,  with  a  brief  doxology  appended,  is  all  that 
belongs  to  Peter !  And,  moreover,  that  the  portion  referred  to 
is  the  short  letter  meant  by  the  apostle,  1  Pet.  5:  12.  But 
any  unprejudiced  man  can  see  that,  1  Pet.  5:  12-14,  is  a  post- 
script to  the  first  epistle,  and  that  the  apostle  mentions  Silas 
as  the  bearer  of  that  letter.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  gifts 
of  Bunsen,  no  man  more  certainly  stepped  into  the  wrong  boat 
than  he  did,  when  attempting  to  play  the  part  of  a  theological 
or  biblical  critic.  Ullnian  was  a  very  different  man,  an  able 
divine  ;  and  even  he  supposed  that  only  the  first  chapter  of  the 
second  epistle  properly  belonged  to  it !  All  the  external  or  his- 
torical evidence  is  against  such  a  hypothesis,  as  also  the  internal, 
as  Hugf  has  irrefutably  shown.  In  the  analysis  and  exposition 
of  this  epistle,  we  have  also  proved  the  unity  of  design  that  runs 
through  the  whole  of  it,  so  that  the  attempt  to  tear  it  asunder 
must  be  branded  as  a  perverse  specimen  of  critical  acumen,  rest- 
ing on  mere  caprice  and  conjecture. 

VII. — The  term  Catholic,  or  general,  as  applied  to  the  epistle. 

In  tlie  fourth  century,  ecclesiastical  writers  were  accustomed 
to  call  the  epistles  of  Peter,  James,  John,  and  Jude,  Catholic. 


*  "Hippolytus  and  his  Age,"  Vol.  I.     London  edition,  1854,  pp.  24,  25. 
,f  Introd.  N.  T.,  by  Fosdick.     §  1*78. 


THE  TERM  CATHOLIC,  AS  APPLIED  TO  THE  EPISTLE.         69 

These  seven  epistles  could  not  have  been  so  called,  because  then 
"  universally  acknowledged,"  for  some  of  theni  were  "  contro- 
verted." 

The  common  explanation  is,  that  they  were  so  named,  because 
not  addressed  to  a  particular  church,  but  to  many  churches  in 
general ;  encyclical  letters,  sent  to  Christians  in  various  pro- 
vinces or  countries.  James,  certainly,  wrote  to  Jewish  be 
lievers  in  the  dispersion  ;  and  Peter,  to  Christians,  in  different 
parts  of  Asia  Minor  ;  the  first  epistle  of  John  also  bears  the 
stamp  of  an  encyclical  letter.  So  does  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
although  not  so  denominated  by  the  ancients.  The  second  and 
•  third  epistles  of  John,  however,  though  styled  Catholic,  by  an- 
cient authors,  are  letters  addressed  to  individuals ;  not  to  a  par- 
ticular church,  or  churches.  This  appellation  applies  only  to 
■most  of  these  epistles — not  to  all — and  may  have  been  the  reason 
of  their  being  so  called. 

Hug  supposes  that  they  were  so  named,  in  order  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  Pauline  epistles,  and  that  the  title,  Catholic  Epis- 
tles, was  given  them  to  denote  epistles  composed  by  the  other 
apostles  who  were  authors.  His  mode  of  reasoning,  indeed,  is 
not  satisfactory,  but  the  suggestion  has  internal  verisimiltude. 
In  speaking  of  the  scriptures  of  the  New  Testament,  the  ancients 
needed  convenient  phrases  as  much  as  we  do.  It  Avould  be  as 
natural  for  them  as  for  us,  when  referring  to  the  four  biographies 
of  Christ,  to  call  them  Gospel,  or  Gospels,  or  Evangelicon.  And 
when  speaking  of  Paul's  epistles  to  style  them  '  the  Apostle,'  or 
Apostolicon ;  and,  of  the  other  epistles,  most  of  which  wore 
written  by  apostles,  and  the  rest  by  prophets  or  evangelists,  to 
name  them  '  Catholic  epistles,'  or  epistles  composed  by  the  otlier 
apostles  and  apostolic  men.  But  as  it  is  a  matter  of  no  practical 
importance,  we  may  suspend  our  judgment,  or  embrace  either  of 
the  opinions  we  prefer. 

But  whether  the  expression,  "  catholic  epistles,"  was  em})loyed 
by  ancient  writers  to  denote  the  persons  addressed,  or  the  authors 


70  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  EPISTLE. 

of  the  letters,  it  has  no  reference  to  the  contents  of  the  epistles. 
All  of  them  arose  from  sj^ecial  occasions,  had  special  aims  or 
designs;  they  are  by  no  means  letters  on  general  topics,  or 
common  places  of  theology,  but  j^articnlarly  intended  to  refute 
theoretical  and  practical  errors,  and  Antinomian  licentiousness. 

VIII. — Analysis  of  the  Epistle. 

I.  Tlie  introduction  :  1  :  1-15.  After  the  inscription  and  salu- 
tation, there  is  a  general  description  of  the  abimdant  qualifications 
of  the  apostles  conferred  on  them  by  Jesus  our  Lord,  with  the  de- 
sign of  such  gracious  endowments  in  reference  to  men.     3,  4  vs. 

An  animated  exhortation  to  the  cultivation  of  constantly  in- 
creasing holiness  follows,  enforced  by  the  design  of  the  apostolic 
office,  as  instituted  by  the  Lord ;  also,  by  the  fact  that  such  pro- 
gress alone  demonstrates  our  confession  of  Christ  to  be  unfeigned  ; 
and,  from  its  indispensable  necessity  in  order  to  a  triumphant 
admission  into  Christ's  everlasting  kingdom.     5-11  vs. 

The  propriety  of  the  Apostle's  zeal  in  this  matter,  is  shown 
from  the  fact  that  such  admonitions  and  exhortations  are  not 
useless  because  well  known  ;  also,  from  the  fact  that  such  a  course 
agrees  well  with  the  duty  of  an  apostle,  and  especially  of  one  near 
death  ;  and,  particularly,  because  of  false  teachers  pronouncing 
apostolic  instructions  fables.     12-16  vs. 

II.  He  thus  opens  up  the  way  to  prosecute  his  chief  design, 
the  certainty  of  Christ's  second  coming  in  power  and  glory  as 
as  King  and  Judge. 

(A.)  He  shows  that  our  Lord  is  indeed  to  come  the  second 
time,  to  establish  his  kingdom  ;  first,  from  the  Transfiguration  of 
Christ,  and  the  attestation  of  God  the  Father ;  secondly,  from 
Scriptural  Prophecy,  which  treats  so  largely  of  that  coming  and 
kingdom.  16-19  vs.  To  this  a  practical  admonition  is  added, 
reminding  us  that  since  the  Prophetic  Word  is  not  of  human 
invention,  but  of  divine  original,  we  should  receive  its  revelations 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  EPISTLE.  71 

on  this  subject  with  attention,  reverence  and  faith.  20,21  vs. 
Thus  lie  declares  that  Jesus  our  Lord  is  to  come  as  King,  and  to 
reward  his  peoi^le. 

(B.)  He  next  predicts  the  rise  of  false  teachers,  who  shall 
deny  Christ's  coming  as  Judge  of  the  wicked.     (2d  chai)ter.) 

Such  will  deny  that  their  professed  Redeemer  is  Lord  and 
Judge ;  they  will  be  crafty  and  avaricious  iu  promulgating  their 
self-contrived  doctrines,  gain  many  disciples,  and  so  cause  genu- 
ine Christianity  to  be  reproached  ;  but  they  themselves,  because 
of  their  sins,  shall  meet  an  awful  doom  from  the  Lord  at  the  day 
of  judgment.     2  :  1-3,  with  9  v. 

Having  thus  briefly  spoken  of  their  characteristics,  success  and 
doom,  he  next  demonstrates  the  certainty  of  their  punishinent  in 
that  day  from  former  examples  of  God's  retributive  justice ; 
the  certainty  of  the  deliverance  of  the  ^nous  from  a  state  of  trial 
is  also  intimated.     4-9  vs. 

Then  the  apostle  gives  a  more  2ycirticular  description  of  these 
false  teachers,  repeating,  as  he  goes  along,  the  certainty  of  their 
punishment,  and  illustrating  its  Jt^^^/ce.  10-16  vs.  Their  charac- 
teristics are  habitual  indulgence  of  bodily  appetites,  and  contempt 
of  government ;  in  which  particulars  they  act  more  like  brutes 
than  men.  Their  covetousness  is  also  prominent ;  in  which,  by 
constant  drill,  or  habitual  exercise,  they  have  become  such  ac- 
complished ministers  of  Satan  that  they  hesitate  not,  like  Balaam, 
to  become  teachers  of  idolatry  and  uncleanness ;  whose  condem- 
nation is  just. 

The  futui'e  everlasting  punishment  of  such  teachers  is  also 
shown  to  be  just,  or  richly  deserved;  first,  because  by  empty 
pretences  they  deceive  or  disappoint  the  natural  expectations  of 
those  who  depend  on  them  for  religious  instruction  ;  secondly, 
because  they  tempt  and  lead  to  apostacy,  by  the  promulgation  of 
known  falsehood  and  promised  impunity,  those  professors  who 
had  fled  for  a  time  from  the  gross  wickedness  of  their  former  as- 
sociates ;  thirdly,  because  by  thus  turning  away  from  the  known 


72  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  EPISTLE. 

holy  requirements  of  the  gospel,  and  enticing  others  to  do  the 
same,  they  bring  themselves  and  those  whom  they  lead  astray, 
into  a  condition  and  habit  of  life  worse,  in  all  resj^ects,  than  any 
to  which  they  had  formerly  been  addicted ;  in  this  way  jjrepar- 
ing  themselves  and  others  for  the  prison  of  the  incorrigible, 
which  is  hell.  lV-22  vs.  Thus  the  apostle  shows  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  is  to  come  as  Judge  to  deliver  the  righteous  from  trial,  to 
punish  the  unrighteous,  and  especially  the  false  teachers. 

(C.)  I7i  the  third  chapter^  the  apostle  predicts  the  rise  of  infi- 
dels^ whether  in  the  visible  church  or  out  of  it. 

After  commending  again  to  their  reverent  and  believing  at- 
tention the  proj)hetic  scriptures,  which  treat  so  largely  of 
Christ's  coming  as  King  and  Judge,  and  the  Apostolic  Com- 
mandment in  reference  to  holiness  as  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
subjects  of  Christ's  kingdom,  he  predicts  that  scoffers  shall  ap- 
pear, who  will  deride  our  Lord's  coming  as  a  dream  of  fanatical 
and  superstitious  men,  and,  flinging  away  Holy  Scripture,  make 
their  own  lusts  the  rule  of  action.  He  thus  portrays  them  as  in 
truth  infidels  or  skeptics.     3  :  1-4. 

He  shows,  in  opposition  to  such,  that  their  assumption  of  the 
uniformity  of  the  course  of  nature  is  false  in  fact ;  the  world 
having  once  been  destroyed  by  the  deluge,  and  that  it  is  reserved 
for  fire,  when  Christ  comes  to  punish  such  ungodly  sinners  as 
they,     5-7  vs. 

The  apostle  then  directs  his  discourse  to  the  pious,  and  assures 
them  that  length  of  time  is  no  obstacle  to  the  Lord,  as  to  the 
accomplishment  of  his  promised  commg,  and  that  he  has  good 
reasons  for  his  apparent  delay,  viz.,  to  promote  their  salvation, 
and  to  give  all  opportunities  for  repentance.     8,  9  vs. 

This  is  followed  by  a  prediction  with  respect  to  the  physical 
change  of  our  world,  together  with  its  renovation  as  the  perma- 
nent dwelling-place  of  the  righteous ;  an  animated  exhortation  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  greatest  degree  of  holiness  being  thrown 
in  the  midst  of  his  description  of  the  awful  scene.     10-13  vs. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  EPISTLE.  73 

He  thus  predicts  that  Jesus  our  Lord  is  to  come  to  punish  infi- 
dels, as  well  as  to  save  and  honor  his  people. 

III.  The  Conclusion,  in  which  he  exhorts  them  to  make  a 
wise  improvement  of  the  opportunities  afforded  them,  that  they 
may  be  found  by  Christ  blameless  and  spotless  ;  and  in  Avhich  he 
likewise  declares  Paul's  inspiration  and  agreement  with  himself 
as  to  the  principal  subjects  of  this  epistle ;  states  also,  the  prac- 
tical aim  of  his  letter ;  gives  another  exhortation  to  growth  in 
grace  and  true  knowledge  of  the  gospel,  the  great  subject  of 
which  is  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  worships 
as  worthy  of  present  and  eternal  adoration.     14-18  vs. 


COMMENTARY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

>  Siinou  Peter,  a  bondman,  and  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to 
them  who  have  obtained  equally  precious  faith  with  us  in  the 
righteousness  of  our  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ;  ^  grace  and 
peace  be  multiplied  to  you  in  acknowledging  God,  and  Jesus  our 
Lord. 

Here  we  have  the  inscription  and  apostolic  salutation.  By  the 
expression,  bondman  (slave  or  seiwant)  of  Jesus  Christ.,  some 
suppose  that  Peter  describes  himself  as  a  saint  or  believer.  And 
the  phrase  is  so  used,  as  in  Rev.  1:1;  Eph.  G  :  6  ;  (compare  1  Pet. 
2:16,  '  God's  bondmen.')  Others  take  it  as  an  official  title,  as 
m  Gal  1  :  10;  Col.  4:  12.  The  latter  interpretation  is  prefer- 
able, since  it  is  more  natural  to  suppose  that  he  alludes  to  his 
office  as  a  minister  of  Christ ;  and  it  is  confirmed  by  his  adding 
"  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ."  Bondman,  as  the  more  general 
title,  precedes  the  other,  and  denotes  his  entire  and  Avilling  con- 
secration to  the  service  of  his  Lord  and  Master. 

The  word  apostle  literally  means  one  sent,  or  a  messenger. 
John  13:16;  2  Cor.  8  :  23  ;  Phil.  2 :  25.  In  Acts  14 :  14,  it  de- 
notes an  apostolical  or  inspired  missionary  ;  comp.  Acts  13  : 1-4. 
Here  it  is  used  in  the  common  official  signification,  to  designate 
Peter  as  an  extraordinary  ambassador  of  the  Saviour ;  one  of  the 
twelve  called  by  Christ  apostles.     Luke  6:13. 

The  characteristics  of  the  apostles  are  these  :  They  Avere  called 
or  chosen  by  Christ  himself,  not  by  man,  Luke  6:13;  Gal.  1:1; 


fjQ  CHAPTER  I.,  YER.  1. 

infallibly  taught  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  comprehend  and  make 
known  "  the  word  of  truth,  the  gospel  of  our  salvation."  John 
10:  13;  1  John  4:6;  1  Thess.  4:  8;  Eph.  3:  3.  They  were 
competent  witnesses  as  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ.    Acts  3:15; 

1  Cor.  9:  1 ;  15  :  15.  The  truth  of  their  commission  as  our 
Lord's   envoys  was  demonstrated  by  miracles.     Mark    16:   20; 

2  Cor.  12  :  12.  They  held  the  highest  office  our  Lord  ever  gave 
to  men,  and  were  appointed  by  him  to  lay  the  foimdations  of  the 
Christian  Church  by  gathering  and  teaching  disciples,  appointing 
officers,  and  the  general  ordering  and  government  of  its  affiiirs. 
Acts  6  :  2,  3  ;  1  Cor.  5:4-6;  12  :  28  ;  2  Cor.  11 :  28. 

Peter  in  neither  of  his  epistles  calls  himself  "  Chief  of  the 
Apostles,"  "  Chief  Pastor,"  "  Universal  Bishop,"  or  "  Pope,"  but 
a  servant  and  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  one  of  the  same  rank 
and  office  with  the  original  twelve.  If  Christ  had  appointed 
him  Pope  over  the  apostolic  college,  and  designed  the  bishops  of 
Rome  to  succeed  him  in  that  office,  it  is  inexcusable  remissness  in 
him  never  to  give  his  readers  the  least  hint  of  it,  especially  in 
the  inscriptions  of  his  epistles,  and  more  particularly  in  this 
second  ejDistle,  designed  to  warn  the  churches  against  false  teach- 
ers. On  the  contrary,  he  expressly  recognizes  Christ  alone  as 
"  the  Chief  Pastor,"  ruler  or  king,  of  the  church  and  its  officers. 
1  Pet.  5:4. 

The  persons  addressed,  are  described  as  those  who  have  obtain- 
ed equally  2yi'ecioits  faitJi  with  us,  etc. :  roi-z  layooG(. — to  those  who 
have  obtained  by  lot,  or  received.  Thus  it  is  intimated  "  that 
their  faith  was  the  gift  of  God,"  Eph.  2  :  8. 

Like  precious  faith,  or,  equally  precious  faith  xoith  us,  Iffozifiov 
ijijJv  -KisTiv :  the  faith  of  the  Christians  addressed  is  called  equally 
precious  with  that  of  the  apostle,  or  the  apostles  generally ;  for 
the  pronoun  may  refer  to  Peter,  as  in  1:   16,*  or  especially  to 


*  "We  shall  refer  to  the  epistle  on  which  we  are  commenting,  simply  by  usinfj; 
the  Arabic  numerals. 


CHAPTER  T.,  VER.  1.  '7'7 

Peter  and  Paul,  as  in  3  :  2,  the  sense  remaining  the  same.  Faith 
in  Christ  is  called  precious,  costly,  or  valuable,  because  it  is  that 
by  which  we  lay  hold  of  the  benefits  of  redemption,  or  become 
personally  partakers  of  them  ;  and  for  another  reason,  viz. :  be- 
cause of  its  imperishable  nature.  So,  our  apostle  says,  "  Your 
faith,  much  more  2^'^'6cioiis  than  perishable  gold,''''  1  Pet.  1 :  7. 
In  both  epistles,*  he  mentions  faith  as  precious ;  but,  in  the  first, 
he  shows  that  he  alludes  thereby  to  its  indestructible  nature. 
Now,  our  Saviour  prayed  for  Peter,  that  his  faith  might  not 
utterly  fail,  Luke  22 :  32  ;  if  then,  the  faith  of  other  true  be- 
lievers be  not  permanent  or  imperishable,  it  can  not  be  said  to 
be  equally  p>recious  with  Peter's  faith.  The  faith  of  private 
Christians,  indeed,  is  alike  precious  with  that  of  any  of  the 
apostles,  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  same  in  kind,  in  its  efiiects,  in  its 
origin,  its  duration,  and  with  respect  to  the  foundation  on  Avhich 
it  rests  for  acceptance  with  God.  But  the  chief  scope  of  the 
apostle  is  to  indicate  the  value  of  faith  as  arising  from  its  per- 
manency, and  the  immovable  and  perfect  foundation  on  w^hich  it 
is  built. 

Accordingly,  he  says  :  "  Equally  precious  faith  in  the  rigltteous- 
ness  of  our  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  The  preposition,  ivy 
must  not  be  rendered  "through,"  for  which  Peter  uses  Sea,  3,  4, 
vs.,  but  in,  on,  or  leaning  on.  This  preposition  is  here  used  of  the 
object  on  which  a  mental  power  acts,  or  of  the  ground  on  which, 
or  the  sphere  in  which,  it  is  exerted.  (Winer.  Masson's  edition, 
pp.  404,  405.)  So,  1  Cor.  4:  6:  "That  ye  might  learn  m  ?/5," 
i.  e.,  by  fixing  the  mind,  or  attention  on  us  as  an  example.  John 
13  :  35.  "7n  this,  all  shall  knoAV  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye 
have  love  in  one  another ;''''  i.  e.,  all  by  fixing  their  attention  on 
this,  namely,  your  love  resting  on  one  another,  shall  know  that 
ye   are   my   disciples.      So,    also,   Xenophen :    "  Cyrus   was   in 


*  Such  coincidences  show  that  Peter  is,  indeed,  the  author  of  both  epistles. 
No  coincidence  can  be  more  natural  and  undesigned,  than  the  one  before  us. 


78  CHAPTER  T.,  VER.  1. 

these  things,"  or,  he  engaged  in  these  matters  by  fixing  all  the 
energies  of  his  mind  on  them.  (Cyrop,  3:  11.)  1  Tim,  4:  15. 
"  Be  in  these  things,"  bring  all  your  faculties  to  bear  on  them, 
or,  "  give  thyself  wholly  to  them."  1  Cor.  2:  5.  "That  your 
faith  should  not  be  hi  the  toisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of 
God  f  that  your  faith  should  not  lean  on  human  wisdom,  but 
on  the  power  of  God.  Rom.  3  :  25.  "  Faith  in  his  hlood^''  faith 
resting  on  his  sacrifice.  Precisely  so  here :  faith  leaning  on  the 
righteousness  of  our  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  :  this  is  the 
object  on  which  precious  faith  acts,  the  foundation  on  which  it 
rests.  (Sec,  also.  Gal.  3  :  2G  ;  Col.  1  :  4  ;  1  Tim.  1 :  14  :  2  Tim. 
3:  15.) 

The  righteousness  of  our  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ :  too 
Osoo  rj/iajv  xat  ffwr-^por  Ir^aou  Xpiaroo.  This,  the  marginal  transla- 
tion of  the  English  Bible,  is,  in  our  judgment,  the  only  accurate 
version.  It  is  based  on  the  following  general  rule  :  "  When  two 
or  more  personal  nouns  of  the  same  gender,  number,  and  ease, 
are  connected  by  the  copulative  y.ai,  if  the  first  has  the  definite 
article,  and  the  second,  third,  etc.,  have  not,  they  both  relate 
to  the  same  person."  Our  apostle's  construction  is  certainly 
in  conformity  with  this  rule.  Thus,  1  :  11,  "The  everlasting 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.''''  Again,  2  : 
20:  "In  acknowledging  the  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  '"''' 
and  in  3  :  18  ;  1  Pet.  1 :  3.  Paul  follows  the  same  rule,  Tit.  2  : 
13:  "The  glorious  appearing  of  our  great  God  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.'''     2  Cor.  1:3;  corap.  Jude  40. 

But  what  is  meant  by  the  righteousness  of  our  God  and 
Saviour  ?  Sin  is  dvo/ua,  or  lawlessness,  1  John  3  :  4,  and  its  op- 
posite, righteousness,  is  a  perfect  conformity  to  God's  law ;  "  any 
want  of  conformity  to,  or  transgression  of,  God's  law,  is  sin," 
and  perfect  obedience  to  it  is  righteousness.  (See  Tholuck, 
Hodge,  and  Haldane  on  Rom.  1 :  17.)  So,  it  is  used  by  Paul  in 
the  matter  of  our  justification  before  God.  Rom.  3  :  21-22. 
And  Peter  shows  that  he  agrees  with  Paul  in  this  doctrine,  by 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  1.  79 

declaring  that  faith  leans  on  the  righteousness  of  our  God  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

This  righteousness  has  been  wrought  out,  not  simply  by  a  sin- 
less man,  but  by  Jesus  Christ,  our  God  and  Saviour.  It  is  the 
perfect  obedience,  in  heart  and  life,  to  the  divine  law  of  "  God 
manifested  in  flesh,"  as  our  legal  representative  ;  a  righteousness 
of  which  "  God  in  Chi'ist "  is  both  the  author  and  approver  ;  a 
righteousness  imputed  to  every  believer  ;  and  hence  the  perfect 
acquittal  of  such,  is  indisputable;  a  righteousness  distinct  from, 
but  inseparably  connected  with,  inherent  sanctifieation  or  holi- 
ness. Thus  we  are  taught,  in  the  epistles  to  the  Romans  and 
Galatians.     See,  also,  2  Cor.  5  :  19-21 ;  Phil.  3 :  9  ;  1  Cor.  1  r  30. 

Calvin  says :  "  He  calls  faith  equally  2)i'&cious,  not  because  it 
is  of  the  same  degree  in  all,  but  because  all  possess  the  same 
Christ  with  his  righteousness,  and  the  same  salvation  by  faith. 
Although,  then,  there  is  a  disparity  as  to  the  degree  of  faith,  yet 
this  does  not  prevent  all  believers  from  having  a  knowledge  of 
God,  in  common,  nor  hinder  the  fruit  thence  arising,  so  that  we 
have  a  true  communion  of  faith  with  Peter  and  the  apostles." 
Bengel :  "  Their  faith  is  equally  jyrecious  with  those  who  saw 
Jesus  Christ,  as  Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  apostles ;  and  with 
those  who  believed  without  seeing  him,  since  it  lays  hold  of  the 
same  righteousness  and  salvation."  1  Jno.  1  :  3  ;  1  Pet.  1  :  8. 
Jjurkitt :  "  Their  faith  is  Wee  that  of  Christ's  apostle,  as  to  its 
nature  and  quality,  though  not  for  its  measure  and  degree;  and 
alike  jii'ecioiis,  in  regard  of  its  object,  Christ ;  in  regard  of  its 
subject,  the  heart ;  in  regard  of  its  act,  which  is  acceptance  and 
consent  to  the  terms  of  the  gospel  covenant ;  in  regard  of  its 
effects  and  precious  fruits,  peace  with  God,  peace  with  conscience, 
victory  over  the  world,  and  the  like.  We  see  then,  that  the  faith 
of  the  poorest  believer  is  as  precious  as  that  of  the  richest,  and  that 
the  weakest  believer  has  the  same  precious  faith  Avith  the 
strongest ;  and  if  it  be  alike  precious,  it  shall  be  alike  permanent 
and  persevering." 


80  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  1. 

Beza  and  McKnight  say,  that  the  righteousness  here  spoken  of 
by  the  apostle,  refers  to  God's  faithfulness  in  fulfilling  the  Old 
Testament  promise  of  extending  faith  and  salvation  to  the  Gen- 
tiles. But,  this  interpretation  is  hased  on  two  mistaken  assump- 
tions ;  first,  that  the  words  rendered,  "  Our  God  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ,"  refer  both  to  the  Father  and  the  Son,  whereas,  the 
reference  is  to  the  latter.  Our  faith  leans  not  on  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  Father,  but  on  that  of  the  Son,  "  God  manifested  in 
flesh."  It  is  by  His  obedience  that  we  become  righteous  in  the 
sight  of  God.  2  Cor.  5  :  19,  21 ;  Rom.  5  :  19.  Second,  they  take 
it  for  granted  that  "  righteousness,"  here,  means  faithfulness, 
which  we  deny,  and  cannot  believe  without  clear  and  convincing 
proof. 

"I,  even  I,  am  Jehovah,  and  beside  me  there  is  no  Saviour;" 
thus  speaks  the  Most  High  by  Isaiah,  4:  3,  11  ;  comp.  4:  5,  21, 
22;  Hos.  13:  4.  Peter  was  well  acquainted  with  such  passages 
of  Holy  Scripture,  and  yet,  he  hesitates  not  to  call  "Jesus  Christ 
our  God  and  Saviour,"  and  to  declare  that  "  there  is  salvation 
in  no  other,"  Acts  4:  12;  demonstrating  that  the  apostle  con- 
sidered our  Lord  truly  God,  as  well  as  man.  The  unforced  and 
perfectly  natural  manner  in  w^hich  this  is  done  shows  that  his 
celebrated  confession,  "  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Sou  of  the  liv- 
ing God,"  sprung  from  the  depths  of  his  heart.  (The  same  art- 
less and  forcible  allusions  to  Christ's  Godhead  occur,  also,  in  the 
first  epistle,  tending  to  prove  that  Peter  is,  indeed,  the  author  of 
both.     See  1  Pet.  1 :  1 1 ;  2  :  4.) 

V.  2.  The  love  of  God,  whollj-  undeserved  by  sinful  men,  is 
"  Grace^''  the  primal  fount  of  every  blessing,  or  every  kind  and  de- 
gree of  true  happiness  and  prosperity,  which  is  signified  by  the  word 
"  Pcrtce."  Luke  24  :  36  :  10  :  5  ;  John  14:  27  ;  Rom.  3:17.  In 
the  apostolical  salutations,  Peace  corresponds  to  the  Hebrew 
word,  Shalom^  the  radical  idea  of  which  is  soundness  or  com- 
pleteness, (Gen.  29:6,)  and  hence  it  means  every  sort  of  good. 
There  is,  however,  a  special  allusion  in  these  salutations  to  our 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  2.  81 

reconciliation  or  friendship  with  God,  obtained  by  faitli  in  the 
sacrifice  of  our  Lord,  (Rom.  5  :  1,)  without  which  no  true  bliss  or 
prosperity  is  attainable  in  time  or  in  eternity.  Hence  Christ  is 
called  "  Our  Peace,"  i,  e.,  the  author  and  procurer  of  it,  Eph.  2  : 
14-lG  ;  not  only  as  destroying  enmity  among  men,  but  also  as 
reconciling  us  to  God  by  his  sacrifice  offered  on  the  cross.  Ac- 
cordingly the  sense  is :  may  God  continue  to  remember  you  wdth 
the  favor  he  bears  unto  his  people,  and  since  he  is  reconciled  to 
you  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  may  every  blessing  that  comes  from 
God  as  "  the  foimtain  of  Life,"  and  through  his  Sou  as  the  Me- 
diator, be  richly  bestowed  upon  you.  Thus  the  ordinary  formula 
of  apostolic  greeting  is  best  explained,  and  in  this  explanation, 
at  least  in  the  substance  of  it,  the  most  eminent  commentators 
concur,  as  Calvin,  Hodge,  Olshausen,  and  Tholuck. 

Grace  and  peace  be  multiplied  to  you  in  acknowledging  God^ 
and  (Testes  our  Lord  :  h  iiziyvmffit  ro6  6eod  xai  Irj(Tuu  rou  xopioo  yj!J.u)v. 
The  general  rule,  stated  before,  does  not  apply  here,  since  the 
article  in  the  original  is  put  both  before  "  God  "  and  "  our  Lord ;" 
thus  accurately  describing  both  the  Father  and  the  Son  as  the 
persons  of  the  Godhead,  by  the  acknowledgment  of  Avhom  grace 
and  peace  are  multiplied  to  believers.  Besides,  in  these  saluta- 
tions neither  the  Father  nor  the  Son  is  ever  mentioned  separately, 
but  together. 

The  noim  i-niywffiq  means  something  laid  upon  or  added  to 
former  knowledge,  ynbaiq ;  or  "  growth  in  knowledge,"  as  our 
Apostle  expresses  it,  3  :  18.  Paul  generally  employs  it  ,to  denote 
full,  increased,  or  more  accurate  knowledge.  Rom.  10:  2.  "They 
have  a  zeal  for  God,  but  not  according  to  accurate  knowledge." 
Eph.  1:  17,  and  4:  13;  Col.  1:9,  10;  Rom.  3:  20.  "For  by 
the  law  there  is  a  more  accurate  knowledge  (or  conviction)  of 
sin."  Peter  uses  the  same  term  to  express  knowledge  and  con- 
fession, or,  in  a  word,  acknowledgment ;  and  that,  whether  it  be 
true  or  false ;  as  here  and  in  1 :  3,  8  ;  2  :  20.  Comp.  2  Tim.  2  :  25  ; 

Tit.  1:1.     The  reference  here  is  to  a  true  acknowledgment. 
6 


82  CHAPTER  L,  VER.  3,  4. 

It  is  not  enough  to  acknowledge  God,  and  Jesus  as  our  Sa- 
viour^ imless  he  in  fact  saves  or  delivers  us  from  our  sins.  Matt. 
1  :  21.  To  talk,  in  any  terms,  of  Grace  and  Peace  as  ours,  with- 
out acknowledging,  both  in  word  and  deed,  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  is  no  proof  of  a  sincere  confession.  The  profession  and  the 
life  must  correspond.  See  Tit.  1:16;  1  Jno.  1:0:  7.  And  our 
apostle  here  speaks  of  acknowledging  "Jesus  our  Lord^''  that  is, 
not  only  as  our  Saviour,  whose  grace  and  mercy  induced  him  to 
die  for  us,  but  who  has  thereby  laid  us  i;nder  the  most  powerful 
and  attractive  obligations  to  obey  him.  And  this  addition  to  his 
former  salutation,  1  Pet.  1  :  2,  is  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  main 
design  of  this  epistle. 

J3eza :  "  Faith  is  an  acknowledgment  of  God  and  of  Christ, 
from  Avhich  all  our  happiness  emanates."  This  is  a  description 
of  a  genuine  confession,  or  one  arising  from  "  faith  unfeigned." 
(See  John  17  :  3,  and  Alexander  on  Isa.  53:  11.)  They,  there- 
fore, who  deem  a  profession  of  the  true  religion  a  matter  of  little 
or  no  importance,  and  they  who  rest  satisfied  Avith  a  naked  jjro- 
fession  of  it,  are  both,  by  this  salxTtation  of  our  aj^ostle,  tacitly 
but  unmistakably  reproved.     Compare  Rom.  10  :  9,  10. 

3  As  his  divine  jiower  has  given  us  all  the  things  designed  for, 
(or  pertaining  to)  life  and  godliness,  through  our  acknowledg- 
ment of  him  Avho  called  lis  by  his  own  glory  and  excellency ; 
*  by  which  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises  have  been 
given  to  us,  in  order  that  by  these  ye  might  become  partakers  of 
a  divine  nature,  after  having  lied  from  the  corru2)tion  that  is  in 
the  world  in  consequence  of  lust. 

Most  commentators  think  that  Peter  here  refers  to  effectual 
-calling  or  regeneration,  to  the  divme  power  as  the  efficient 
^cause  of  it,  and  to  the  gospel  as  the  means  employed  in  produc- 
ing it.  Thus  Calvin,  Beza  and  Bengel,  McKnight,  explains  both 
verses  of  the  qualifications  of  the  apostles,  or  the  gifts  of  the 
Spirit  imparted  to  them  by  Christ,  in  order  to  lead  men  to  life 
and  godliness.     Benson  thinks  that  the  fourth  verse  has  a  special 


CHAPTER  I,  VER.  3.  83 

reference  to  such  apostolic  endowments,  and    to  the  design  of 
their  office. 

In  our  judgment,  Peter  is  speaking  here  of  the  apostles  only, 
but  in  a  tAvo-fold  manner ;  first  as  believers,  3d  v.,  and  then  as 
apostles,  4th  v.  To  suppose  that  Peter  is  treating  in  this  para- 
graph only  of  such  gracious  endowments  of  "  the  Spirit  of  Christ" 
as  are  common  to  all  believers,  is  untenable.  For  this  explana- 
tion overlooks  the  change  of  person,  or  rather  the  marked  dis- 
tinction between  the  first  person  and  the  second.  For  example  : 
*'  To  them  Avho  have  obtained  like  precious  faith  loith  r<s,"  apos- 
tles. "  As  his  divine  power  has  given  ?«s,"  etc.  "  Who  called 
?«s,"  etc.  "  That  ye  might  become  partakers,"  etc.  "  Grace  and 
Peace  be  multiplied  to  youP  "  Moreover,  for  this  very  purpose 
add  to  your  faith,  virtue,"  etc.  "  TFe,"  apostles,  "  did  not  fol- 
low cunningly  devised  fables,"  16th  v.  "  TFe  heard  this  voice," 
18  v.  "I,"  as  an  apostle,  "think  it  right,"  etc.,  13  v.  To 
disregard  this  very  mai'ked  distinction  is  decidedly  objectionable  ; 
but  this  is  done  by  those  who  affirm  that  the  sanctifying  gifts  of 
Jesus  our  Lord  are  here  alone  refei*red  to. 

Besides,  what  can  be  more  precisely  adapted  to  the  main  de- 
sign of  this  epistle,  than  to  assume  that  here,  in  the  exordium, 
Peter  gives  a  general  description  of  the  apostles,  considered  both 
as  genuine  believers  in  Christ,  and  as  his  legates,  richly  furnished 
in  order  to  guide  others  in  the  path  of  piety  to  eternal  life  ?  Thus 
the  holiness  of  the  apostles  is  tacitly  contrasted  with  the  im- 
morality of  the  fiilse  teachers ;  and  the  abundant  qualifications 
of  Christ's  legates,  with  the  empty  j)retences  of  the  apostles  of 
Satan.  The  latter  are  wells  without  water,  the  former  filled  with 
the  Spirit  of  truth  and  holiness.  And  it  will  be  beyond  the  in- 
genuity of  any  to  show  how  the  apostle  could  have  spoken  in  this 
place  more  to  the  point,  or  more  modestly. 

V.  3.  A  careful  examination  of  the  apostle's  language  will 
bring  us  to  the  same  conclusion.  The  third  and  fourth  verses 
contain  the  protasis ;  the  apodosis  begins  at  the  fifth  verse.     As 


84  CHAPTER  I.,  VER  3. 

his  divine  power  hsLS  given  US  both  the  sanctifying  and  miracu- 
lous influences  of  his  Spirit,  that  by  these  ye  might  be  restored 
to  the  divine  image,  do  ye  also  for  this  very  purpose  add  to  your 
faith,  virtue,  etc.  His  divine  power  :  that  is,  the  divine  power  of 
Jesus  our  Lord ;  for  the  pronoun  refers  to  the  nearest  antece- 
dent, 2  V,  This  view  is  confirmed  by  that  part  of  the  subsequent 
context,  the  meaning  of  which  is  too  transparent  to  be  misunder- 
stood :  Fulfil  your  obligations  to  Jesus  our  Lord,  by  constantly 
advancing  in  holiness,  for  then  your  acknowledgment  of  him  will 
not  be  in  vain,  5-8  vs.  Besides,  our  apostle  is  wont  to  ascribe 
sanctifying  and  miraculous  gifts  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  considered  as 
« the  Spirit  of  Christ."  1  Pet.  1  :  10-12;  Acts  2:  33.  Thus 
"  Jesus  our  Lord "  exerts  his  divine  power,  as  "  our  God  and 
Saviour."  1  v. 

The  particle  "as,"  w?,  in  itself  considered,  may  mean  inas- 
much as,  or  since;  as  in  Matt.  6  :  12,  "Forgive  us  our  debts,  as 
we  too  forgive  our  debtors,"  i.  e.,  inasmuch  as  we  also  forgive 
our  debtors.  The  accuracy  of  this  explanation  of  Matt.  6:12, 
is  proved  from  Luke  11  :  4 :  "Forgive  us  our  sins,  for  we  also 
forgive  every  one  that  is  indebted  to  us."  Or  this  particle  may 
intimate  that  there  ought  to  be  an  analogy  or  likeness  between 
the  zealous  efforts  of  believers  to  become  more  and  more  holy, 
and  the  abundant  means  provided  by  our  Lord  and  Saviour  for 
that  purpose  ;  and  hence  our  translators  have  rendered  it  "  ac- 
cording as."     Either  way,  the  main  thought  remains  the  same. 

j4.s  his  divine  power  has  given  us  all  things  pertaining  to 
life  and  godliness  ;  literally :  As  of  his  divine  power  there  has 
been  given  us  all  the  things  towards  life  and  godliness.  Now,  if 
the  genitive  absolute,  t^c  Oda^.  duvd/isw^  d£dap7]ij.ivy]<:,  expresses 
the  efficient  cause  of  the  gifts  imparted,  as  is  certain,  then  the 
particle  w^  (or  "  as")  must  have  been  used  to  denote  the  analogy 
or  likeness  before  mentioned  ;  in  a  Avord,  it  must  mean  "  accord- 
ing as."  All  the  things  pertaining  to,  -dvra  xd  Tzpoo^^  or  all  the 
things  designed  for.    This  phrase,  in  itself  considered,  expresses 


CHAPTER  T.,  VER.  3.  85 

the  idea  of  general  relation,  or  a  general  purpose,  design,  or  in- 
tention. For  example,  Luke  14:  28-32:  "For  which  of  you 
purposing  to  build  a  tower,  sitteth  not  down  first,  and  counteth 
the  cost,  whether  he  has  the  things  designed  for,  or  relating  to 
perfection  f  "  to.  -pb-  ar^apriffiiw  ;  /.  (?.,  whether  he  has  the  means 
that  are  necessaiy  for  finishing  the  tower,  or  whether  he  has 
gold  enough  laid  by  which  is  designed  to  be  spent  for  perfecting 
it.  "  Or  else,  while  the  other  is  yet  fiir  olF,  he  sendeth  an  em- 
bassy, and  desireth  conditions  of  peace  f  literally:  "Ae  entreats 
the  things  towards  peace,''''  relating  to  peace,  or  rather  he  en- 
treats for  such  negotiations  as  are  designed  to  establish  peace  be- 
tween the  contending  parties.  See  also  Acts  28:10.  In  these 
passages  the  idea  of  general  intention  is  more  prominently  exhibit- 
ed ;  perhaps,  in  Rom.  15  :  17  ;  Heb.  2 :  17  ;  5  :  1,  that  of  general 
relation. 

The  preposition  tt^oo?  literally  expresses  forward  motion,  to- 
wards. And  if  Ave  now  review  our  apostle's  words,  "  As  his 
divine  power  has  given  us  all  the  things  towards  life  and  godli- 
ness, the  phrase  italicised  is  no  longer  of  doubtful  meaning,  and 
the  clause  signiBes  all  the  things  designed  for  the  attainment  of 
life  and  godliness  ;  or  all  things  which  have  relation  to  eternal  life 
as  the  end,  and  piety  as  the  way,  to  reach  it.  Or  we  may  take 
"  Life  and  Godliness,"  by  hendiadys,  for  '  a  godly  life.'  "  As  his 
divine  power  has  given  us  all  things  designed  to  promote  a  godly 
life  in  us."  This  leaves  the  sense  unchanged ;  for  "  without  holi- 
ness no  one  shall  see  the  Lord ;"  apostles  not  accepted. 

But  what  was  the  means,  or  receptive  organ,  whereby  the 
apostles  became  partakers  of  our  Lord's  purifying  power  ?  It 
was  through  (or  by  means  of)  the  acknowledgment  of  him  who 
called  us  by  his  oxen  glory  and  excellency.  Aid  zija  i-ty^uxTsaz 
=throvgh  (by)  the  acknowledgment:  this,  in  our  idiom,  is 
hy  our  acknoxdedgment.  The  person  acknowledged  is  de- 
fined as  "he  who  called  us,"  etc.,  that  is,  Christ.  And  the 
calling  meant  is  Ijieir  effectual  calling  by  Christ  as  his  disciples, 


86  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  4. 

and  as  his  apostles.  (This  clause  thus  marks  the  transition  to 
the  subject  spoken  of  in  the  fourth  verse.)  In  both  "Jesus 
our  Lord"  manifested  "his  divine  power."  Corap.  Eph.  3:  7-20. 
Faith  is  that  by  which  we  truly  acknowledge  Christ,  and  by 
which  his  divine  power  works  within  us  in  purifying  the  heart ; 
as  our  apostle  also  declares.     Acts  15:  9. 

Who  called  us  hy  his  own  glory  and  excellency  ;  Ipiaq  §o^a  -/.at 
aperrj.  This  is  the  reading  adopted  by  Lachmann  and  Tisohen- 
dorf,  and  found  in  the  manuscripts  A  and  C,  and  in  the  Vul- 
gate ;  propria  gloria  et  virtute.  Griesbach  also  designates  this 
reading  as  preferable,  and  it  is  approved  by  Calvin  and  Bengel. 
The  other  reading,  found  in  B,-  G,  K,  is  8id  So^tj':  izai  a/>£T^c,  = 
Through,  or  by  glory  and  excellency.  The  former  reading  is  de- 
cidedly preferable ;  but,  either  way,  the  sense  is  the  same ;  for, 
if  we  adopt  the  latter,  o'A  must  be  employed,  as  in  Rom.  11  :  26  ; 
1  Cor.  8  :  6. 

Glory  and  excellency  are  used,  by  hendiadys,  for  excellent 
glory.  Glory  is  here  equivalent  to  power,  for  our  Lord's  divine 
power  is  the  subject  spoken  of;  by  this  the  apostles  were  called. 
Thus,  the  word  is  used,  Rom.  6:4.  "  Christ  was  raised  from 
the  dead  hy  the  glory  of  the  Father  ;"  and  by  our  apostle,  1  Pet. 
4  :  14  :  "  The  Spirit  of  Glo-ry  resteth  on  you,"  the  almighty 
Spirit.  Compare  John  11:  40.  Excellency :  the  Greek  word 
literally  means,  goodness,  or  excellency  of  any  kind.  In  1  Pet. 
2:  9,  it  denotes  the  divine  perfections:  "That  ye  should  show 
forth  the  excellencies  of  him  who  called  you  out  of  darkness  intO' 
his  wonderful  light."  Glory  and  excellency,  then,  are  equivalent 
to  "  his  divine  power,"  or  an  excellent  exertion  of  it. 

It  deserves  consideration,  whether,  by  the  aj^ostolical  acknowl- 
edgment spoken  of  here,  Peter  does  not  allude  to  the  occasion 
which  called  it  forth.  "  But  whom  do  ye"  (disciples)  "  say  that 
I  am?"  '•'■  Siinon  JReto%"  the  usual  spokesman  of  the  twelve, 
"  answered,  and  said:  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God.''''     See  Matt.  16  :  13-19.     Here,  Peter,  answering  for  the 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  4.  .  8V 

rest  as  well  as  himself,  acknowledged  not  only  our  Lord's  human, 
but  his  divine  nature  ;  and  our  SaA'iour  declared  that  acknowl- 
edgment of  himself  to  be  not  the  eiFect  of  human  teaching,  but  of 
divine  revelation  or  illumination,  17  v.  Another  apostle  says: 
"Whoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,"  in  the  sense  just 
explained,  "  is  born  of  God^''     1  John  5 :  1,  with  5  v. 

The  rendering  given  by  our  translators,  "that  hath  called  us 
to  glory  and  virtue,"  cannot  be  justified  for  oid  with  the  genitive 
never  means  to.  Into  this  unhappy  mistake  they  seem  to  have 
been  led  by  Beza :  ad  gloriam  ac  virtutem.  The  correct  trans- 
lation is  given  in  the  margin  of  the  English  Bible. 

V.  4.  By  xohich  [glory  and  excellency]  exceeding  great  and 
precious  promises  have  been  given  to  us,  etc.,  i.  e.,  by  which  ex- 
cellent manifestation  or  exertion  of  his  divine  power,  exceeding 
great  and  precious  things  promised  by  our  Lord  have  been  given 
to,  or  bestowed  on  us,  the  apostles  of  Christ.  Here,  the  refer- 
ence is  especially  to  the  exti'aordinary  or  miraculous  gifts  im- 
parted to  them.  "  Promises,"  by  metonomy,  for  the  things  pro- 
mised, as  in  3:4.  "  Where  is  the  joro/nese  of  His  comipg?"  that 
is,  Where  is  the  fulfilment  of  that  promise  ?  See,  also,  Luke  24 : 
49  ;  Ileb.  10  :  ,16.  In  Gal.  3  :  22,  as  here,  a  promise  is  said  to  be 
given  when  it  is  fulfilled,  or  when  the  thing  promised  is  given  : 
"  The  Scripture  hath  concluded  all  iinder  sin,  that  the  ^^romise 
by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  might  be  given  to  them  that  believe  ; " 
tliat  is,  that  the  thing  promised,  justification  by  faith  in  Christ 
might  be  actually  conferred  on  believers.  (Thus,  Benson.)  Comp. 
Gal.  3:  14.  Moreover,  how  can  a  2y>'omise  be  given  by  power, 
except  by  the  fulfilment  of  that  jDromise? 

That  the  exceeding  great  and  precious  things  promised  to  the 
apoBtles,  by  our  Lord,  relate  to  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the 
Spirit,  is  clear  from  many  passages.  For  example,  Luke  24 : 
49.  "  And  behold,  /am  sending  the promisQ  of  my  Father  upon 
you,"  etc. ;  that  is,  I  will  soon  send  upon  you  the  Spirit  pro- 
mised by  my  Father.     Compare  Acts  1  :  4,  8;  Luke  21  :  15.     "7" 


88  CHAPTER  I.  VER.  4. 

will  give  you  a  mouth,  and  tcisdom^  which  all  your  adversaries 
shall  not  be  able  to  gainsay,  or  resist;"  comp.  2  Pet.  3:  15. 
"  For  ye  are  not  the  speakers,  but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father  which 
speaketh  in  you,"  Matt.  10:  20.  "And  7"  will  ask  the  Father, 
and  he  shall  give  another  Paraclete,"  (teacher,  advocate  and 
helper,  and  comforter,)  "  to  abide  with  you  for  ever,  the  Spirit  of 
Truth,"  etc.,  John  14:  16,  17.  "But  the  Paraclete,  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  the  Father  shall  send  in  my  name,  He  shall  teach 
you  all  things,  and  remind  you  of  all  which  I  have  said  to  you,'''' 
John  14:  26.  "I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  to  you,  but  ye 
cannot  bear  them  now  ;  but,  whenever  the  Spirit  of  Truth  shall 
have  come,  He  loill  guide  you  into  all  truth^''  (or,  the  whole 
truth  ;)  for  he  shall  not  speak  of  himself,  but,  whatever  he  shall 
hear,  that  shall  he  speak ;  and  he  loill  tell  you  things  to  come.'''' 
(Compare  the  whole  passage,  John  16  :  7-15.  See,  also.  Acts  1  : 
4,  5,  8.)  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  believeth  on 
me,  the  toorks  that  I  do,  shall  he  do  also  ;  and  greater  than  those 
shall  he  do  ;  because  I  am  going  to  my  Father.  And  whatever, 
ye  shall  ask,  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do,  that  the  Father  may  be 
glorified  in  the  Son,  If  ye  shall  ask  anything  in  my  name,  I  will 
do  it,"  John  14:  12-14. 

Here  we  have  a  specimen  of  the  exceeding  great  and  precious 
things  promised  by  our  Lord  to  his  apostles ;  and  which  Peter 
declares  were  actually  given  to  them.  These  relate  especially  to 
their  plenary  inspiration  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  the  wisdom 
given  them,  the  revelation  of  future  things,  and  of  the  true  way 
of  salvation,  together  with  the  miracles  by  which  the  Lord  Jesus 
confirmed  the  truth  of  their  doctrines,  and  the  reality  of  their 
commission.  (Compare  Mark  16:  20  ;  Rom.  15  :  18,  19  ;  1  Cor. 
2  :  7-13  ;  Gal.  1  :  11,  12  ;  1  Cor.  14  :  37  ;  Heb.  2  :  4  ;  1  John,  4  :  6.) 

The  great  design  of  bestowing  such  gifts  is  next  stated :  In 
order,  that,  by  these,  ye  might  become  partakers  of  a  divine  nature, 
etc. ;  "va  did  TouTtov  yiv7j<T0^  Oeia'z  tloivwvo).  (fuffzw:.  The  translation, 
"  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,"  is  altogether  inaccurate,  gram- 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  4.  89 

matically,  violating  the  apostle's  usage.  Here  the  article  is  want- 
ing in  the  original,  but,  in  the  third  verse,  it  is  found :  literally, 
"the  divine  power  of  him"=:  His  divine  power.  To  partake  of 
the  divine  nature  is  in  itself  impossible  ;  for  the  distinction  be- 
tween God  and  intelligent  beings,  created  and  renewed  by  him, 
is  infinite  and  impassable,  and  can  never,  from  the  very  nature 
of  the  thing,  be  annihilated.  If  it  could  be,  Pantheism  would 
be  true.  But,  to  confound  the  Creator  and  the  creature,  and 
to  make  them  all  one  and  the  same,  is  madness  and  blas- 
phemy. "  Nature,"  then,  as  here  used  by  the  apostle,  cannot 
mean  essence  or  substance,  but  disposition,  moral  qualities. 
And  to  become  partakers  of  a  divine  nature^  means  to  become 
partakers  of  a  disposition  like  that  of  God ;  or  like  God,  as  to  the 
combination  of  knowledge  and  holiness.  See  Ej^h.  4 :  23,  24 ; 
Col.  3:10.  "  Partakers  of  his  holiness,'''  Heb.  12  :  10,  and  "par- 
takers of  a  divine  nature,"  are  identical  in  signification.  TJiat  by 
these  ye  might  become,  etc.,  i.  e.,  to  the  end  that,  by  these  pro- 
mised gifts  of  the  Spirit  conferred  on  i;s  apostles,  ye  might  be- 
come renewed  after  the  image  of  God.  The  great  design  of 
Jesus,  our  Lord,  in  giving  us  such  wonderful  endowments,  says 
Peter,  was  to  promote  your  holiness  to  the  greatest  possible  de- 
gree.    Comp.  1  Pet.  1 :  15,  16. 

Having  fled  from  the  corruption  that  is  in  the  loorld,  in  con- 
sequence of  lust:  a-f>fu^<>vr£-:  =  having  fled  from,  having  escaped, 
i.  e.,  after  ye  have  escaped,  or  fled  from,  as  the  same  participle  is 
rendered,  2 :  20.  It  does  not  denote  the  means  of  becoming 
holy,  as  Bloomfield  aflfirms  ;  for  that  is  indicated  in  the  phrase, 
by  these,  (promises  given  to  us.)  Peter  uses  corruption  in  the 
sense  of  great  wickedness,  shameful  immorality,  2  :  12,  19.  The 
corruption  in  the  loorld  in  lust,  is  the  literal  rendering :  rr^z  iv 
■/.otTiKo.  h  i-'.Ou!J.'.a  (fOopai.  This  corruption  is  shown  on  earth,  it  is 
in  the  world  ;  or  manifested  by  men  of  the  world,  the  unrenewed  ; 
so  that  world,  by  metonomy,  is  put  for  its  inhabitants.  It  is  a 
corruption   in  lust ;   that  is  its  fountain,    or  source,  as  Calvin 


1/ 


90  CHAPTER  L,  YER.  4. 

explains  ;  or  this  corruption  is  in  consequence  of  lust.  So  the 
jjreposition  is  used  by  our  apostle,  1  Pet.  1  :  6  ;  4  :  14,  16  ;  and 
2  Pet.  2 :  3.  Or  it  may  be  equivalent  to  consisting  in,  as  in  2  : 
V  ;  but  Ave  prefer  the  former  explanation. 

The  great  design  of  the  apostolical  endowments  Avill  become 
more  evident  by  giving  a  version  more  in  accordance  with  the 
English  idiom :  "  In  order  that  by  these,  after  ye  have  fled  from 
the  corruption  that  is  in  the  world,  in  consequence  of  lust,  ye 
might  become  partakers  of  a  divine  nature."  Thus,  it  lucidly 
appears  that  this  design  is  not  only  an  avoidance  of  immorality 
with  loathing,  but  also  the  acquisition  of  a  disposition  like  that 
of  God,  in  which  knowledge,  holiness,  and  bliss  are  inseparably 
united.  (1  John  1:5.)  This  thought,  the  apostle  John  would 
liave  expressed,  after  this  manner :  "  In  order  that  ye  should 
not  walk  in  darkness,  but  in  the  light,  as  God  is  in  the  light." 
1  John  1:6:1;  compare  1  Pet,  2 :  9. 

Tor  this  same  purpose,  then,  showing  therewith  all  haste,  sup- 
ply, with  your  fiith,  boldness ;  and  with  boldness,  knowledge ;  "and 
with  knowledge,  self-mastery ;  and  with  self-mastery,  steadfast 
endurance,  and  with  steadfast  endurance,  godliness,  (or,  piety ;) 
'and  with  godliness,  love  of  the  brethren ;  and  with  love  of  the 
brethren,  philanthropy.  Tor,  if  ye  have  these  things,  and  they 
abound,  they  make  you  stand  neither  idle  nor  unfruitful,  as  to 
the  acknowledgment  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Tor  he  who  has 
not  these  things  is  blind,  shutting  the  eye,  forgetful  of  the  jjuri- 
tication  of  his  old  sins.  '"Wherefore,  brethren,  hasten  the  more 
to  make  firm  (or,  sure)  your  calling,  and  so  (your)  election  ;  for, 
doing  these  things,  ye  can  in  no  wise  stumble  at  last.  "For  thus 
an  entrance  shall  be  richly  supplied  for  you  into  the  everlasting- 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

Peter,  having  given  a  brief  description  of  the  qualifications  of 
the  apostles  for  their  work,  consisting  in  the  sanctifying  and  ex- 
traordinary gifts  of  the  Spirit ;  and,  having  stated  the  great  design 
of  their  office,  as  instituted  by  the  Lord  Jesus, — viz.,  to  restore 
men  to  the  moral  image  and  likeness  of  God, — ^now  exhorts  them 
to  use  the  most  earnest  efforts  to  this  end,  in  connection  with 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  5.  91 

the  means  and  agencies  thus  provided  for  them,  so  tliat  a  beauti- 
ful, progressive,  and  holy  consii;tency  might  be  conspicuous  in 
their  temper  and  conduct,  5-7  vs.  And  this  exhortation  is  also 
enforced  by  other  jiowerful  and  attrtctive  motives,  8-1 1  vs. 

Y.  5.  For  this  same  2)w>'2^ose^  then,  ^''Xg.  y.a\  au-u  toTjto  ds :  eti; 
is  understood  before  adra  tooto.  No^\ ,  although  xat  ok  is  often 
equivalent  to  also,  and  might  have  been  translated  so  here,  with- 
out changing  the  sense ;  yet  dk,  here,  is  Cvintinuative,  and  /.ac  is 
used  to  introduce  the  apodosis,  as  is  common.  In  such  instances, 
the  English  idiom  requires  the  use  of  then,  or  therefore;  or,  and 
then;  now  then.  '■'■As  his  divine  poAver  has  given  ics,  etc.,  noio 
then,  do  ye  also  supply,"  etc.  In  Rom.  9:  17  ;  Col.  4:  8,  etq  is 
put  before  ad-u  tuuto.  Peter  omits  it,  but  employs  the  expression 
m  the  same  signification.  In  Gal.  2  :  10  ;  2  Cor.  2:3;  Phil.  1 :  6, 
Paul  also  omits  ££'?,  though  in  these  instances  uutu  rouro  is  de- 
pendent on  a  verb,  so  that  Conybeare's  version  of  the  phrase, 
"  accordingly,"  is  hardly  allowable.  (Thus,  he  renders  it  in  Gal. 
2  :  10  ;  Phil  1:6;  but  in  2  Cor.  2  :  3,  "  for  this  very  reason.") 
The  interpretation  now  given  is  adopted,  in  substance,  by  Cal- 
vin, Bengel,  Benson,  McKnight,  Doddridge,  and  others.  El^ 
auTo  TUUTO,  prout  placet  CEcumenio.*  The  other  reading,  xa\ 
ai'jTOi,  A,  leaves  the  sense  unchanged,  but,  as  the  easier  one, 
looks  like  a  correction. 

For  this  very  ^j?«?;^:>0S6',  viz.,  to  escape  the  corruption  in  the 
world  in  consequence  of  lust,  and  to  become  partakers  of  a 
divine  nature ;  then,  or  there/ore,  introduces  the  apodosis,  and  in- 
timates the  consequence  that  should  follow  as  to  our  behavior. 
"  As  Jesus,  our  Lord,  has  bestowed  exceeding  groat  and  pre- 
cious promised  gifts  on  us,  the  apostles,  in  order  to  promote  your 
holiness  to  the  greatest  degree,  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
design  in  your  case,  do  ye,  therefore,''^  etc.  Shoiciny,  therewith, 
all  haste,  supply  with  your  faith,  excellency.  \^  The  participle, 

*  Thomas  Smith :  Commentarius  in  Secundam  S.  Petri  Apostoli  Epistolara. 


92  CHAPTER  L,  VE'rl.  5. 

Tzapen^eviyxavTe'^,  is  found  only  here  in  the  New  Testament,  and 
the  literal  translation  is,  "Having brought  in  beside,"  or  "bring- 
ing in  alongside  of."  All  haste  is  equivalent  to  the  greatest 
zeal,  01',  the  most  earnest  efforts.  Thus,  our  apostle  inti- 
mates that  their  utmost  effrrts  must  be  used  in  connection  with 
the  inspired  word,  spoken  or  written,  of  the  ajDostles.  Compare 
1  Pet.  1 :  23-25,  and  2  :  "i-3  ;  1  Pet.  1  :  14-16  ;  John  11:  20,  21. 
A  participle  is  employe  d  by  Peter,  with  a  verb  in  the  imperative 
mood  following,  or  preceding,  to  indicate  the  manner  in  which 
a  duty  enjoined  is  to  be  done,  1  Pet.  2:  1;  1:  13.  '■^Supply 
with  (or,  add  to)  your  faith,  excellency,"  etc. ;  how  ?  by  exhibit- 
ing the  greatest  diligence :  the  sense,  then,  is,  Show  the  utmost 
zeal  in  endeavoring  to  furnish  yourselves  with  these  virtues. 

Supply,  that  is,  desire  and  endeavor  to  do  so :  k-f/opriyrjffare. 
In  classic  writers,  the  verb  sometimes  means  to  lead  out  a  chorus  ; 
also,  to  pay  the  expenses  of  getting  up  a  chorus,  and  hence  to 
supply  or  furnish,  as  here  and  in  the  eleventh  verse.  That  no 
special  stress  must  be  laid  on  the  preposition  in  this  verb,  is 
clear,  from  the  adverb,  "  richly,"  prefixed  to  it  in  the  same  verse. 
The  simple  verb  is  used,  1  Pet.  4  :  11;  comp.  Gal.  3  :  5  ;  2  Cor. 
9:  10.  Doddridge's  explanation  as  if  the  apostle  meant  to  per- 
sonify the  virtues  mentioned,  they  being  led  up  as  in  a  dance,  is 
far-fetched  and  repugnant  to  Petrine  and  Pauline  usage.  To 
suppose  the  allusion  in  the  phrase  kruxopriyrjao-z  h  to  be  a  founda- 
tion is  better ;  for  kv  is  sometimes  equivalent  to  on,  leaning  on, 
as  in  1 :  1.  The  preposition,  however,  has  often  the  same  sig- 
nification as  in  connection  with,  or  with,  as  in  1  Pet.  3  :  2. 
Furnish  or  equip  yourselves  with  these  virtues ;  do  not  rest 
satisfied  with  faith  only,  but  exert  your  highest  zeal  to  supply  ex- 
cellency, etc.,  or,  make  haste  and  add  one  to  the  other.  The 
version  in  common  use  gives  the  sense  remarkably  well ;  "  giving 
all  diligence,  add  to,"  etc. 

Excellency,  dperyj,  in  the  third  verse  means  p>oioer.  Here  it 
denotes  boldness^   or  moral  power.     Supply  with  your  faith, 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  5.  93 

power,  signifies  that  to  confidence  in  the  righteousness  of  our 
God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  (1 :  1,)  we  must  add  an  energetic 
discharge  of  duty,  laughing  at  danger  and  throwing  aside  all 
stumbling  blocks  in  our  way.  This  power  is  necessaiy  for 
growth  and  consistency  in  holiness.  Thus  Benson,  Scott,  Barnes, 
and  others.  This  excellency,  or  moral  power,  does  not  differ 
much,  or  at  all,  from  what  Peter  elsewhere  calls  a  girding  up  of 
the  loi?is  of  the  mind,  1  Pet.  1 :  13.  The  assumption  that  the 
word  here  means  "  virtue,"  in  the  ordinary  sense,  has  never  been 
proved,  though  advocated  by  Calvin  and  Warburton.  The 
Latin  virtus,  in  the  sense  of  manliness,  bravery,  or  that  which 
becomes  a  hero,  is  more  like  apzTnj  here ;  and  if  the  word  "  virtne" 
in  the  English  Bible  were  so  understood,  it  would  be  unexception- 
able; but  it  is  not  by  the  unlearned.  Christian  manliness  or 
heroism  is  the  virtue  here  meant  by  the  apostle  ;  a  bold  discharge 
of  duty  amidst  danger  and  difticuity,  as  becomes  a  good  soldier 
of  Christ. 

And  with  boldness,  knoicledge  :  the  knowledge  here  meant  is 
both  theoretical  and  practical ;  or  an  increasing  aquaintance  with 
the  gosi)el,  and  prudence,  which  is  jjractical  knowledge.  That 
your  boldness  may  not  degenerate  into  rashness,  grow  in  the 
knowledge  of  your  duty  to  Christ,  (3:  18,)  and  do  not  foolishly 
put  yourselves  in  the  way  of  danger,  Matt.  10  :  23.  Many,  in 
the  Ante  Nicene  church,  forgot  or  disregarded  this  precept  of 
Christ  and  his  apostle,  or  they  would  not  have  courted  martyr- 
dom as  they  did.  And  they  equally  forget  or  disregard  this 
apostolic  precept,  who  are  mere  passive  recipients  of  evangelical 
knowledge,  not  searching  the  Scriptures  for  themselves,  as  the 
Bereans  did.     Acts  17:  11. 

V.  6.  And  with  knowledge,  self-mastery:  rijv  iyxpdTetav=in- 
ward  strength,  self-government,  rule  over  one's  spirit,  mastery  of 
one's  evil  inclinations.  Prov.  25  :  28.  The  word  "temperance," 
as  now  commonly  used,  does  not  give  the  sense  of  the  Greek 
word.     (Compare  Acts  24 :  25 ;  Gal.  5 :  22.)     Since  the  word 


94  CHAPTER  I.,  YER.  G. 

Strictly  means  dominion  over  our  sinful  desires,  chastity  is  of 
course  included,  and  may  also  be  particularly  intended  by  our 
apostle ;  yet  the  government  of  all  our  evil  passions  is  the  pre- 
ferable explanation,  since  thus  Ave  are  commanded  to  strangle  all 
the  hissing  vipers  within  us. 

And  with  self-mastery,  steadfast  endurance :  ryfv  u-oiiovr^v  =  a 
staying  itnder^  literally ;  hence,  patience,  perseverance,  or  stead- 
fast endurance.  While  attempting  to  govern  yourselves,  do 
not  become  discouraged,  but  persevere  until  you  conquer.  Our 
apostle  may  also  refer  to  outward  calamities,  and  then  the  sense 
is :  Tame  your  passions  raging  within,  and  bear  up  nnder  trou- 
bles arising  from  external  circumstances  ;  and  this  we  prefer. 

And  with  steadfast  endurance,  godliness  (or  piety:)  rr^v  etxre- 
jSscav.  The  word  means  reverence  towards  God  mingled  with 
love,  or  the  worship  that  is  properly  due  to  him.  Be  constantly 
engaged  in  adoring  God  and  entreating  his  help,  for  so  your 
daily  struggles  for  self-government  and  resignation  will  be  crown- 
ed with  success.  To  assume  that  Peter  here  speaks  of  piety  in 
the  sense  of  reverence  and  affection  due  to  kindred  and  friends, 
as  some  do,  is  altogether  forced,  since  it  is  opposed  to  usage, 
marked  and  uniform.  See  Acts  3:12,  where  Peter  is  the  speaker, 
and  the  same  word  is  used,  though  the  common  version  has 
"holiness."  "As  though  by  our  own  power  or  godliness,"  etc. 
1  Tim.  2  :  2  ;  3 :  16  ;  2  Tim.  3:5;  Tit.  1 :  1,  etc.  (The  cognate 
verb  is  only  once  used  to  express  the  idea  of  filial  i^iety.  1 
Tim.  5  :  4.) 

V.  1.  And  with  godliness,  love  of  the  brethren,  or  brotherly 
love :  the  love  referred  to  is  a  fervent,  practical  love,  shown  to 
one  because  he  is  a  child  of  God  and  a  brother  in  Christ.  Comp. 
1  Pet.  1:  22,  and  4:8;  Ileb.  6:  10.  Charity  or  Love,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  brotherly  love,  means  pMlanthrophy^  or  love  to 
man  as  man,  shown  by  benevolence  and  beneficence. 

V.  8.  The  apostle,  having  enforced  the  exhortation  to  growth 
in  holiness  from  the  great  design  of  the  apostolic  office  as  insti- 


CHAPTER  I,  VER.  8.  95 

tuted  by  our  Lord,  now  proceeds  to  present  another  motive  to 
the  same  end.  With  the  greatest  diligence,  add  to  your  faith, 
boldness,  etc.,  for  these  virtues,  if  they  exist  in  you  and  abound, 
will  make  it  manifest  that  your  confession  of  Christ  is  sincere. 
For  if  ye  have  these  things^  these  virtues  or  graces  of  the  Spirit 
which  I  have  just  mentioned,  and  they  abound^  or  increase  more 
and  more  :  literally.  For  these  things  existing  and  abounding  to 
you ;  but  here  the  participles  are  used  to  express  a  condition,  as 
in  1  Pet.  3 :  6,  and  being  joined  with  the  dative  of  a  person,  they 
imply  possession  ;  hence  the  version  in  our  idiom  is,  "  If  ye  have 
these  virtues,  and  they  abound," 

For  these  things,  if  they  be  yours  and  abound,  cause  you  to 
standi  etc. :  raura  (sc.  uij.a(-)  xadiar7j<n  The  verb  is  transitive,  and 
means,  literally,  to  set  doion,  cause  to  stand.  (Comp.  1  Pet.  5 : 
12.)  This,  our  translators  take  as  a  metaphorical  expression, 
equivalent  to  make  you  to  he  ;  but  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  such 
a  version  can  be  justified.  When  Ave  set  down  a  person,  or  make 
him  stand  in  any  assembly,  we  thereby  cause  him  to  appear,  ice 
make  him  conspicuous,  so  that  he  naturally  attracts  the  atten- 
tion of  the  company.  We  think  therefore,  that  the  best  mode 
of  interj^retation  is  the  following;  By  exhibiting  the  greatest 
diligence,  add  to  your  faith,  boldness,  etc.,  for  these  virtues,  if 
they  be  yours  and  abound,  cause  you  to  appear  in  the  eyes  of  all 
beholders,  (1  Pet.  3:2,)  not  as  persons  that  are  inactive  and  \m 
fruitful  in  the  acknowledgment  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  2:  21. 
Or,  growth  in  these  virtues  makes  it  manifest  that  your  profess- 
ion of  Christ  is  sincere.  Besides,  it  is  tautological  and  absurd 
to  say  that  growth  in  these  graces  of  the  Spirit  makes  one  to  be 
not  idle  and  unfruitful  in  knowing  and  confessing  Christ.  They 
who  grow  in  holiness  are  not  unholy  professors ! 

N^either  idle  nor  unfruitful  as  to  the  acknowledgm,ent,  etc. : 

■  A'po-fz  =  idle,  lazy  or  slow.  Matt.  20  :  3-C  ;  1  Tim.  5  :  13  ;  Tit.  1  : 

12.     This   word,   in  the  English  Bible,  is   here   only   rendered 

"barren,"  but  in  the  margin  '"idle."     It  here  signifies  slothful^ 


96  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  9. 

inactive,  indisposed  to  do  the  work  which  Jesus  our  Lord  has 
commanded.  "Ye  are  my  friends  if  ye  do  whatever  I  command 
you."  John  15:14.  To  suppose  the  metaphor  to  be  in  the  word 
idle,  is  to  introduce  an  tmseemly  tautology  ;  for  barren  trees  are 
unfruitful  ones ;  the  metaphor  lies  only  in  the  latter  word.  The 
expression,  "  not  slothful  nor  unfruitful,"  expressed  in  a  positive 
form,  is  the  same  as  active  and  fruitful.  These  virtues,  if  they 
be  yours  and  abound,  will  cause  you  to  be  noticed  by  others,  and 
then  you  will  not  be  branded  by  them  as  idlers  in  Christ's  church, 
or  as  trees  in  his  vineyard  that  yield  no  fruit.  "  Let  your  light 
so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good  works,  and 
glorify  you  Father  who  is  in  heaven."  Matt.  5  :  16.  "That  they 
may,  by  beholding  some  of  your  good  works,  glorify  God  in  a 
day  of  visitation."  1  Pet.  2  :  12,  Gr.  This  interpretation  is  farther 
confirmed  from  the  fact  that  Peter  uses  the  cognate  verb  to  ex- 
press an  idler's  gait:  "Against  whom  the  judgment  long  since 
[threatened]  Imgers  not^''''  oox  dpyii,  comes  not  "  with  lingering 
steps  and  slow,"  as  a  slothful  person  walks.  T.  Smith :  Absque 
harum  virtatum  praxi  et  copia,  professio  Christi  quam  proe  vobis 
fertis,  nee  vobis  nee  aliis  utilis  futura  est.  The  various  reading, 
Tafwvra  A.  and  Vulgate,  leaves  the  sense  the  same  as  uTzapovza, 
B.  C.  G.  K. 

V.  9.  J^or  he  who  has  not  these  things^  etc. :  w  yap  p.rj  -Kape^Tc 
Tat)ra,  =  whoever  has  them  not;  or,  if  any  one  have  them  not.  If 
they  should  not  be  present  to  any  one,  as  I  now  suppose  or  assume : 
this  is  intimated  by  the  use  of  the  subjective  negative.  If  any  one  is 
destitute  of  these  virtues,  (which  may  be  taken  for  granted  with- 
out loss  of  charity)  he  is  blind  ;  his  ignorance  and  stupidity  in  the 
matter  I  am  urging  is  unquestionable.  And  he  must  be  indeed 
blind  who  sees  not  the  necessity  of  holiness,  and  growth  in  it, 
for  admission  into  Christ's  kingdom.  John.  3:  19-21 ;  Rom  8: 
13  ;  Tit.  2  :  11-15.  The  other  metaphorical  expression,  [xoaTrd^wv 
=  shutting  the  eye^  or  xoinking^  is  considered  by  our  translators 
as  meaning  one  that  cannot  see  afar  off,  a  near-sighted  person. 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  9.  97 

And  the  word  is  used  by  classic  writers  in  this  sense,  'dim-sighted,' 
or  '  short-sighted.'  Thomas  Smith :  iwto-d'^wv  luscitiosus  est.  Ita 
p.uui-xa  interpretatur  Gellius  (Noc.  Att.  4 :  2.)  Luscitiosus  sive  lus- 
ciosus,  tit  Atteius  Philologus  explicat  apud  Ifestum^est^  qui  propter 
oculorum  vitium  parum  viclet :  vel  saltern  quod  paulo  remotius 
est,  non  videt.  Muw-aXiiv  dicuntur  ab  Aristotele  apud  Budanim. 
oc  V/.  j'£Vi7^?  ra  tih  syyuq  /SA^rrovrer,  ra  8s  i^  anoqdffscjq  oux  opwvzsq. 
The  near-sighted  almost  shut  their  eyes,  or  contract  their  eyelids, 
when  attempting  to  look  at  a  distant  object ;  and  hence  this  sig- 
nification of  the  word  is  quite  natural  and  obvious.  The  parti- 
ciple thus  explained  must  be  considered  as  restricting  the  meaning 
of  the  term  blind :  '  I  do  not  intend  to  say  that  such  a  man  has 
no  knowledge  at  all  of  the  necessity  of  holiness,  but  that  his 
knowledge  in  this  particular  is  very  imperfect  and  inaccurate ; 
such  a  knowledge  as  a  short-sighted  person  has  of  a  distant  ob- 
ject.' 

Others  explain  the  participle  of  voluntary  blindness,  or  Avilful 
moral  stupidity.  "  For  he  who  has  not  these  things  is  blind, 
shutting  the  eye,"  i.  e.,  wilfully  closing  his  eyes  against  the 
light.  Thus  Benson  and  McKnight.  This  explanation  is  con- 
sistent with  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word,  but  not  with  the 
usus  loquendi. 

Lachmann  and  Tischendorf  do  not  put  a  comma  between  the 
two  words,  but  join  them  together,  and  then  the  version  must  be, 
'•He  who  has  not  these  things  is  a  blind  eye-shutter,''''  or  "a  blind 
winker;"  a  sluggard  who  is  ever  willing  to  shut  his  eyes  and 
slumber ;  or,  when  the  figure  is  intei^preted,  a  stupid  and  careless 
professor,  to  whom  the  precept  of  the  gospel,  demanding  con- 
stant progress  in  holiness,  is  unwelcome.  Such  an  one  willing- 
ly goes  to  sleep  in  his  sins,  shutting  his  eye  against  the  light, 
because  he  hates  it.  Comp.  John  3 :  20.  "VVliichever  interpreta- 
tion we  adopt,  the  blindness  meant  must  be  considered  volun- 
tary.     "Darkened   as   to   the   understanding,   being   alienated 


•98  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  9. 

from  the  life  of  God  through  the  ignorance  that  is  in  them,  on 
account  of  the  hardness  of  their  hearts.''''     Eph.  4:18. 

Wishing  to  forget,  or  forgetful  of  the  jmrifcation  of  his  old 
\J  sins :  literally,  "  seizing  (or  taking)  forgetfulness  in  resi^ect  of 
the  purification  of  his  old  sins."  As  to  the  expression,  seizing 
or  taking  forgetfulness,  it  may  be  a  pleonasm,  designed  to  de- 
scribe more  emphatically  the  forgetfulness  spoken  of;  or,  there 
may  be  no  emphasis  in  the  phrase,  as  in  Heb.  2:3,  "  Which  be- 
gan to  be  spoken  by  the  Lord,"  literally,  '  which  taking  its  be- 
ginning,''  etc.  Occasionally,  however,  such  forms  of  speech  are 
used  to  denote  the  consent  of  the  will  and  an  eagerness  to  per- 
form the  act  indicated,  as  in  Rom.  7 :  8-1 1  ;  "  Sin  taking  occa- 
sion," or  rather,  "  seizing  the  opportunity  ; "  and  perhaps,  2  Tim, 
1:5.  So  it  may  be  exi^lained  here,  wishing  to  forget,  eager  to 
do  so.  But  if  it  be  pleonastic,  then  the  sense  is,  "  forgetful  of 
the  purification  of  his  old  sins."  And  old  sins  means  sins  former- 
ly committed ;  or,  as  it  is  expressed  in  the  first  epistle,  ^former 
lusts  in  your  ignorance."     1  Pet.  1 :  14. 

The  purification,  xaf}aptff!i6i;,   meant  is   Baptism.     The  thing 
signified  by  baptism,  to  wit :  inward  cleansing,  is  put,  by  metono- 
my,  for  the  outward  sign  or  symbolical  action  that  represents  it 
to  the  eye.     (This  inward  purification,  or  regeneration,  is  shown 
by  an  honest  and  conscientious  desire  to  please  and  obey  God, 
and  this  is  the  only  baptism  that  saves,  namely,  the  outward  and 
inward  one  combined.    1  Pet.  3:  21.)    "A  question  arose  between 
some  of  John's  disciples  and  the  Jews  about  purification.     And 
they  came  to  John,  and  said  to  him,  He  that  was  with  thee  be- 
yond Jordan,   to  whom  thou  bearest  witness,  behold  the  same 
baptizeth,  and  all  come  to  him."     John  3  :  25,  26.     Comj).  Acts 
22:  16;   Rom,  6:  3-6.     Our   apostle  elsewhere  in  like  manner 
takes  it  for  granted  that  one  may  be  so  far  brought  imder  the 
influence  of  the  gospel  as,  for  a  time,  to  avoid  gross  sins  and 
acknowledge  Christ,  and  yet  practically  forget  the  obligations 
voluntarily  assumed  at  his  baptism,  2 :  20-22.  The  sense  then  is  : 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  10.  99 

'  Be  in  earnest  to  cultivate  these  virtues,  for  Avlioever  is  destitute 
of  tlieni  is  morally  stupid,  and  wilfully  so ;  practically  forgetful 
of  the  confession  made  and  tiie  obligations  to  holiness  acknowl- 
edged at  his  baptism.' 

The  apostle  is  not  speaking  in  this  verse  of  a  backslider,  or  a 
believer  in  a  low  and  declining  state;  for  the  })erson  spoken  of  is 
expressly  described  as  one  who  has  not  the  virtues  mentioned, 
•5-7  vs. ;  as  one  who  is  willingly  blind  in  reference  to  the  truth 
he  is  insisting  on,  viz.,  the  necessity  of  progress  in  holiness ;  as 
one  who,  by  returning  to  sins  formerly  committed,  shows  that  he 
forgets,  or  strives  to  forget,  the  obligations  of  his  baptismal  con- 
fession and  covenant.  How  absurd  to  suppose  that  one  can  be 
destitute  of  holiness,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  have  it ;  can  love 
the  light  and  yet  hate  it !  \y^ 

V.  10.  Wherefore,  brethren,  hasten  the  more  to  make  sure 
\ox  firiril  your  calling,  and  so  [your]  election  ;  for,  doing  these 
things,  ye  can  in  no  wise  stumble  at  last.  Wherefore,  '?:() : 
this  refers  to  what  is  said  in  the  ninth  verse.  To  avoid  that 
dreadful  state  of  wilful  moral  stupidity  and  return  to  sins  former- 
ly committed,  hasten  the  more,  or  employ  still  greater  earnest- 
ness and  diligence.  To  make  one's  calling  sure  or  firm,  is  to 
assm-e  one's  self  by  unquestionable  evidence  of  his  regeneration, 
or  effectual  calling.  1 

But  how  is  this  evidence  to  be  acquired  ?  Not  by  living  on 
variable  frames  and  feelings,  not  by  confounding  comfort  with 
holiness,  but  by  doing  these  things,  or  cultivating  the  graces  be- 
fore mentioned.  It  is  the  present  participle,  and  the  sense  is : 
For,  if  ye  constantly  practice  these  virtues,  or.  By  practicing 
them.  Tlie  unmistakable  and  decisive  proof  of  our  effectual 
calling  is  our  progressive  sanctification ;  any  acknowledgment 
of  Christ  not  attended  by  these  gi'aces  of  the  Spirit,  is  worthless. 
Make  sure  your  calling,  and  so  (your)  election:  Assure  your- 
selves in  this  manner  of  your  regeneration,  and  so  of  the  flictthat 
God  has  chosen  you  as  his  people.     (Comp.  1  Pet.  1  :  12  ;  Rom. 


100  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  10. 

8 :  28.  "  The  called  according  to  his  purpose,"  i.  e.,  those  regener- 
ated agreeably  to  the  previous  intention  of  God.  2  Thess.  2  : 
13,  14.)  The  copulative  and,  y.at,  is  often  equivalent  to  and 
hence,  and  then,  or  and  so  ;  denoting  a  consequence.  Matt.  1 1  : 
18,  19,  '•'•And hence  they  say,  he  has  a  demon."  John  7:  22. 
'•'•And  hence  on  the  Sabbath  ye  circumcise  a  man."  Rom.  11  : 
35.  "  Who  has  first  given  unto  him,  and  then  it  shall  be  recom- 
pensed to  him  again  ?  "  1  Pet.  5 :  4.  ^'•And  then,  Avhen  the 
chief  Pastor  has  appeared,"  etc.  If  ye  constantly  practice  these 
virtues,  ye  may  be  sure  that  you  have  been  called  by  God,  and 
hence  you  may  be  certain  of  your  election  by  him ;  or,  that  ye 
are  the  called  according  to  his  purpose. 

The  purpose  or  choice  of  God,  in  reference  to  the  salvation  of 
any  one,  can  be  known  only  by  his  manifesting  it  in  some  way. 
He  does  it  by  eflectual  calling  ;  and  when  we  become  partakers 
of  a  divine  nature  we  increase  in  all  the  graces  of  the  Spirit, 
adding  to  our  faith  boldness,  and  the  rest.  Sanctification  of  the 
inner  man,  exhibited  in  the  fruits  of  holy  living,  shows  that  our 
calling  is  indeed  of  God's  Spirit,  and  so  demonstrates  that  God 
has  chosen  us  as  his.     Comj).  2  Tim,  2  :19, 

For,  doing  these  things,  ye  can  in  no  wise  stumble  at  last ; 
oh  irri  -zaiG^zi  tzuts.  "  For,  if  ye  constantly  practice  these  vir- 
tues, ye  cannot  fail  of  success  hereafter ;  or,  thus  your  future  ever- 
lasting Avell-being  is  certain,"  The  objective  or  absolute  nega- 
tive, and  the  subjectiAc  or  relative  one  are  both  used  by  the 
apostle :  ou  [it]  =  not  at  all,  in  no  loise,  as  in  John  4  :  14,  and  6: 
37 ;  1  Pet.  2:6:  -ore,  here,  certainly  refers  to  the  futux-e,  and 
may  be  rendered  either  hereafter,  or  at  last.  The  aorist  subjmic- 
tive,  T.-aiariTt,  with  the  negatives  that  modify  it,  the  moral  impos- 
sibility of  failure  on  the  condition  mentioned,  and  then  the  trans- 
lation must  be  either  as  above  given ;  or  thus :  ye  shall  in  no  wise 
stumhle  at  last.  (Compare  in  the  original,  1  Pet.  1 :  1.  "That 
the  proving  of  your  faith  must  he  found,  (or,  shall  he  found,) 
endmg  in  praise,"  etc.     Heb,  1:6     "  But  when  he  must  again 


CHAPTER  L,  VER.  11.  101 

(or,  shall  ar/abi)  bring  in,''''  etc.  1  Pet.  4:  13.  "Ye  must  be 
<>;la<:l,  leaping,  or  shall  exultingly  rejoice.")  This  verb  is  found 
elsewhere,  only  Rom.  11:  11  ;  James  2:  10;  and  3:2;  comj). 
Jude,  24  V.  James  employs  it  in  the  sense  of  to  sin,  or  stumble 
in  the  path  of  duty ;  but  this  signification  is  not  appropriate  here ; 
for  the  words  that  immediately  follow  show,  that  the  apostle 
alludes  to  the  ultimate  result  of  holy  obedience  to  Jesus  our 
Lord.  "  If  ye  persevere  in  holy  living,  ye  can  in  no  wise  be  in 
the  wrong  path,  and  at  last  stumble  and  flill  into  hell,  for  thus 
an  entrance,"  etc. 

The  context,  therefore,  leads  naturally  to  the  interpretation 
given,  and  the  verb  is  so  used  by  Xenophon.  Cyr.  3 :  1,  26.  "I 
think  it  is  a  peculiarity  of  this  man  to  be  insolent  ^ohen  ^i^'osper- 
ing^  and  quickly  to  crouch  through  fear  vnhen  stunihUng  ;  i.  e., 
when  failing  of  success,  or  stumbling  while  in  the  pursuit  of  good. 
Jude,  24  V :  "  To  him  who  is  able  to  keep  you  from  stumbling^ 
and  to  make  you  stand  before  his  glory,  blameless  with  exulta- 
tion:" a-zaitTTou<; ;  i.  e.,  to  Him  who  is  able  to  keep  you  from 
ultimately  failing  of  success,  and  cause  you  to  appear  before  his 
glorious  presence  with  holy  exultation. 

The  reading  adopted  by  Lachmann,  "  Hasten  the  more,  to 
make  sure,  bg  your  good  xcorlcs^''  etc.,  is  found  in  A.  and  the 
Vulgate  ;  but  it  is  omitted  by  B.  C.  The  evidence  for  it  is 
slight ;  it  was  probably,  at  first,  a  marginal  explanation  of  some 
copjast.  The  addition  is  certainly  tautological,  or  superfluous,  be- 
cause there  immediately  follows,  "  doing  these  things^''  etc.  We 
may  be  sure,  therefore,  that  Lachmann's  addition,  taken  from 
only  one  manuscript,  forms  no  part  of  the  apostle's  original  text. 

V.  11.  For  so  an  entrance  shall  be  i-lchly  supplied  for  you  into 
the  everlasting  liingdom,  etc.  So  or  thus :  in  this  manner,  only, 
that  is,  clothed  and  adorned  with  these  virtues,  or  by  doing 
these  things.  This  by  no  means  proves  that  our  virtues  merit  or 
deserve  such  a  reward;  but  it  shows  that  none  give  the  evidence 
to  others,  or  can  be  certain  themselves,  that  they  are  called  cflect- 


102  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  11. 

iially,  and,  consequently,  chosen  of  God,  excej^t  those  who  par- 
take of  a  divine  nature ;  or,  that  the  only  way  into  the  king- 
dom is  the  highway  of  hohness.  Isa.  35:  8-10;  1  Cor.  6:  9, 
10;  Eph.  5:5;  Jas.  2:  5.  Besides,  the  form  of  speech  em- 
ployed, "  So  an  entrance  shall  be  richly  supplied  for  you^''  or 
abundantly  furnished  you  by  God,  of  itself  implies  that  his  grace 
is  to  be  very  conspicuously  exhibited,  both  in  enabling  us  to  per- 
severe in  holy  living,  and  to  reign  with  Christ  in  imspeakable 
glory.  Calvin :  "  The  apostle  explains  the  inode  of  perseverance^ 
Avhen  he  says,  '  An  entrance  shall  be  abundantly  sui^j^lied  for 
you ;'  the  sense  of  which  is,  God,  by  largely  and  repeatedly  fur- 
nishing fresh  supplies  of  grace,  will  lead  you  all  along,  until  you 
enter  his  kingdom," 

The  everlasting  Jcingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ.  The  kingdom  here  meant,  is  not  that  kingdom  which,  as 
the  Word,  or  Logos,  or  as  God  coequal  and  coeternal  with  the 
Father,  he  had  from  eternity ;  and  which,  from  the  very  nature 
of  the  thing,  must  be  eternally  His,  in  union  with  the  Father  and 
the  Holy  Spirit;  one  indivisible  God  with  one  indivisible  kingdom, 
the  Universe.  1  Cliron.  29 :  11.  "Thine,  Jehovah,  is  the  greatness, 
and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  and  the  victory,  and  the  majesty;  for 
all  ^hat  is  in  the  heavens  and  on  earth  is  thine :  thine  is  the  king- 
dom, Jehovah,  and  thou  art  exalted  Head  over  all."  Compare 
Ps.  103:  19-22,  and  145:  10-13.  As  Jehovah,  therefore,  this 
kingdom  belongs  to  the  eternal  Son  by  indefeasable  and  inalien- 
able right. 

But  the  kingdom  intended  by  the  apostle  is  that  which  be- 
longs to  him  as  "  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,"  or  his 
kingdom  considered  as  Mediator  between  God  and  man.  It  is 
teimied  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;"  a  kingdom  heavenly  or  divine 
in  its  origin  and  administration ;  and  "  the  kingdom  of  God." 
(The  source  of  such  forms  of  speech  will  be  found  in  well-known 
passages  of  the  prophet  Daniel.)  It  is  also  called  "  the  kingdom 
of  Christ,"  and  here,   "the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  11.  103 

Jesus  Christ."  Matt.  3  :  5  ;  6  :  33  ;  7 :  21 ;  19 :  24  ;  Mark  1 :  14, 
15  ;  Luke  4  :  11  ;  9  :  1 ;  John  3  :  3,  5  ;  (Luke  22 :  30 ;  John  18 : 
36.  "My  khigdom.")  Eph.  5:  5,  "the  khigdora  of  Christ." 
Col.  1:  13,  "  the  kingdom  of  His  beloved  Son."  2  Tim.  4:1, 
IS  ;  Heb.  1:8;  Rev.  11:15.  "  The  kingdom  of  God,"  means  the 
Divine  kingdom  of  Christ ;  as  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven"  means 
the  heavenly  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  as  Paul  expresses  it,  2  Tim, 
4  :  18.  And  the  kingdom  of  our  incarnate  God  and  Lord  is  thus 
named,  as  above  said,  because  it  is  divine  or  heavenly  in  its 
origin,  and  administration.  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  tlds  v^orld^'' 
John  18:  36,  that  is,  it  does  not  derive  its  origin  from  human  ap- 
pointment ;  the  rule  of  its  administration  does  not  'spring  from 
human  j^olicy.  "I  appoint  a  kingdom  for  you,  as  my  Father  ap- 
2)ointed  it  for  me.''''     Luke  22  :  29. 

Now,  this  mediatorial  kingdom  of  Christ,  this  kingdom  which 
is  peculiar  to  him  as  "  God  manifested  in  flesh,"  is  set  before  ns 
in  the  New  Testament  as  hoih.  present  and  future.  His  jvesent 
kingdom,  as  the  incarnate  God,  is  twofold:  _F<;>6'^,  the  visible 
church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  divinely  constituted,  or  heavenly 
api)ointed,  form  of  his  kingdom  now,  to  last  xmtil  his  second 
coming.  The  subjects  of  this  kingdom  are  men  both  renewed 
and  \mrenewed  ;  all,  hoAvever,  acknowledging,  whether  feignedly 
or  truly,  Jesus  Christ  as  their  Lord  and  Saviour,  Matt,  13 :  37-43. 
"  The  Son  of  Man  shall  send  forth  his  angels,"  (at  the  consumma- 
tion of  the  age,  at  the  end  of  the  present  dispensation  of  his 
grace,)  "  and  they  shall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  the  stum- 
bling blocks  and  those  doing  iniquity."  Here,  our  Saviour  is 
speaking  of  the  visible  church,  as  it  will  appear,  when  he  comes; 
in  it  there  will  be  up  to  that  time  "  stumbling  blocks,"  professors 
leading  others  to  sin,  or  to  stumble  in  the  path  of  duty  ;  of  which 
stumbling  blocks  false  teachers  arc  most  influential.  Rom.  15: 
IT.  Li  this  church  there  will  also  be  up  to  that  day  "them  that 
do  iniquity,"  or  who  live  in  the  habitual  indulgence  of  their  sin- 
ful  propensities.     Such  are  not  indeed,  strictly   speaking,  chil- 


104  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  11. 

dren  of  the  kingdom,  but  yet  they  outwardly  appear  as  such, 
having  a  form  of  godliness  while  denying  the  power  thereof. 
The  phrase  "  his  kingdom,"  then,  in  Matt.  13  :  41,  denotes  Christ's 
visible  church,  Avith  wheat  and  tares  in  it ;  but  when  he  shall 
send  forth  his  angels  to  separate  the  one  from  the  other,  "  then 
shall  the  righteous  shine  forth  as  the  sim  in  the  kingdom  of  their 
Father  ;  "  or  then  the  future  form  of  his  kingdom,  to  which  both 
Christ  and  they  who  are  Christ's  were  appointed  by  the  Father, 
(Luke  22 :  39  ;  Matt.  25  :  34,)  shall  be  established  in  ineffable 
glory. 

"  Who  delivered  us  from  the  power  of  darkness,  and  trans- 
lated us  into  the  kingdom  of  his  beloved  Son,^^  (Col.  1:  13;) 
^.  e.,  who,  by  regenerating  us  delivered  us  from  the  author- 
ity, i^ouffcac,  of  Satan  the  prince  of  darkness,  and  set  us  over, 
or  removed  us  into,  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ.  Compare 
Col.  4:11. 

Secondly.  Our  Lord's  present  kingdom  as  the  incarnate  God, 
consists  in  his  association  as  such,  with  the  Father  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  universe,  and  especially  of  the  heavenly  worlds. 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  and  Saviour  is  noAV  •'  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Majesty  on  high,"  seated  on  his  Father's  throne,  (Rev. 
3:  21,)  "angels,  and  authorities,  and  powers  being  made  subject 
unto  him,"  (1  Pet.  3 :  22,)  "  Lord  both  of  the  dead  and  living," 
Rom.  14:  9.  He  has  the  keys  of  the  spirit-world  and  of  death, 
Rev.  1:  18.  The  great  design  of  this  form  of  his  kingdom  is 
indicated,  (Eph.  1  :  10  ;  Phil.  2  :  9-11,)  viz.,  that  he  may  be  ac- 
knowledged as  the  incarnate  Jehovah  by  all  intelhgent  beings  in 
all  worlds,  and  that  all  the  saints,  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  may 
hereafter  be  gathered  together  into  one  kingdom  under  him  as 
the  head. 

His  future  kingdom  as  God-Man  Mediator,  is  here  spoken  of 
by  our  apostle ;  for  it  is  a  kingdom  into  which  they  had  not  yet 
entered,  and  hence  it  cannot  mean  Christ's  visible  church :  "  For 
so  an  Qwlv^ncQ  shall  be  richly  furnished  y  oil  mto  the  everlasting 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  11.  105 

kingdom,"  etc.  This  future  form  of  tlie  kingdom  of  Clirist  in 
which  "'  the  righteous  sliall  shine  as  the  sun,"  will  be  instituted 
at  our  Lord's  second  coming,  Tliis  is  manifest  from  the  main 
drift  of  this  epistle,  and  the  certainty  of  Christ's  powerful  coming 
to  admit  the  holy  triumphantly  into  it,  is  shown  in  the  latter  part 
of  this  chapter,  (10-19  vs.)  ^'-  His  appearing  and  his  Icbigdom^'' 
(2  Tim.  4:1,)  must  mean  when  he  appears  again  to  establish  his 
kingdom.  And,  from  the  explanation  which  the  King  himself 
gave  of  the  parable  of  the  tares  of  the  field,  it  is  indisputable  that 
the  good  and  bad  will  exist  in  the  visible  church  until  the  sepa- 
ration is  made  by  his  order  at  "the  consummation  of  the  age,"  or 
end  of  the  present  dispensation.  "  Tlien  the  righteous  shall  shine 
forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father  ;  "  which  passage 
has  been  before  explained.  See  also  Matt.  25:  31-46.  Our  Lord 
and  Saviour,  when  he  comes  with  power,  will  institute  this  form 
of  his  kingdom  in  our  renovated  world.  3  :  13  ;  Acts  3  :  19-21  ; 
Dan.  V:  27,  with  21,  22  vs.;  Luke  1 :  32,  33;  Rev.  11:  15.  Li 
the  last  passage  here  referred  to,  the  apostle  John  foretells  that 
our  world  is  to  be  the  place  where  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  the 
Christ  of  God,  is  to  be  established,  and  his  reign  in  it  is  expressly 
declared,  as  here,  to  be  everlasting.  Paul  also  agrees  with  Peter 
herein,  for  he,  after  declaring  the  greatness  of  the  inheritance  of 
God's  true  children  Avho  are  to  be  glorified  with  Christ,  and  the 
littleness  and  insignificance  of  their  sufferings  when  compared 
witli  that  future  glory,  expressly  declares  that  our  renovated 
world  is  to  be  the  place  where  Christ  and  they  who  are  his,  are 
to  be  glorified  together.  Rom.  8:  17-23.  Paul  also,  in  this 
passage,  unmistakably  indicates  the  epoch  or  time,  viz.,  when  we 
obtain  "  the  redemption  of  our  body,"  which  all  admit  will  not 
be  till  Christ's  second  coming.  The  time  then,  or  great  epoch, 
in  which  this  form  of  Christ's  kingdom  shall  be  established,  viz., 
at  his  second  coming;  the  place,  our  renovated  world;  the  dura- 
tion of  his  reign  here  from  that  epoch,  for  ever  and  ever ;  and  the 
subjects  of  it,  the  truly  holy,  are,  in  our  judgment,  scriptural 


106  CHAPTER  I.,   VER.  11. 

doctrines  and  therefore  true,  and  of  a  holy  tendency.     And  our 
apostle  uses  them  as  the  great  motive  to  holiness  in  this  epistle. 
The  passage,  1  Cor.  15 :  23-28,  is  difficult  of  interpretation,  (2 
Pet.  8:  16,)  but  not  impossible  to  be  understood.     There  is  an 
order  observed  in  the  resurrection :  First,  Christ  rose  as  the  first 
fruits,  and  many  of  the  saints  soon  after,  Matt.  27 :  52,  53.    IVext, 
Christ's  iDeojjle  are  to   be  raised  at  his  coming.     TJcen  the  last 
hand,  to  zikot;,  of  the  dead,  those  who  are  not  Chrisfs,  or  the 
unholy  and  reprobate,  are  to  be  raised,  Kev.  20:  11-15.    Then, 
when  all  his  enemies  are  become  his  footstool,  when  both  the 
holy  and  unholy  have  immortal  bodies,  or  bodies  indestructible, 
when  death  is  thus  annihilated,  Christ   tcill   deliver  up  the  hing- 
dom  to  God  even  the  Father.     What  kingdom  ?     The  one  he  is 
to  institute  in  the  renovated  earth  at  his  appearing  ?    Impossible, 
as  God  is  true ;  for  this  is  expressly  declared  by  Christ's  legates 
to  be  EVERLASTING.     If  then  his  jjcculiar  kingdom  as  our  Media- 
tor is  to  be  everlasting,  the  kingdom  which  he  is  to  resign  to 
the  Father  is  his  association  with  him  in  the  government  of  the 
miiverse.     T/iat  kingdom  will  be  given  up  when  all  his  enemies 
are  under  his  feet,  and  death  vanquished ;   not  that  everlasting 
one  into  which  the  holy  shall  enter.     This  interpretation,  in  sub- 
stance, is  given  by  David  IST.  Lord. 

But  some  object  to  Christ's  personal  reign  on  earth  hereafter,  and 
say,  that  his  reign  will  be  spiritural  only.  Christ  now  reigns  in  hea- 
ven ;  but  is  he  personally  absent  from  heaven  because  his  Spirit 
dwells  in  angelic  minds  and  in  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect? 
When  he  comes  again  the  Spirit  shall  be  poured  out  upon  all 
flesh,  Satanic  influences  cease,  (Joel  2:  28-31;  Rev.  20  :  1-3,) 
and  our  world  then  will  be  "  in  principle  as  pure  as  this  is  gross 
and  selfish."  And  can  any  Christian  brother  object  to  be  on  our 
renovated  earth  with  Christ,  and  like  him  in  body  and  soul ;  or 
to  share  in  the  employments  and  enjoyments  of  those  whose 
intelligence,  holiness  and  bliss  will  be  as  conspicuous  as  the 
sun  ? 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  12.  107 

^"Wherefore  I  always  intend  to  remind  jon  of  these  things, 
though  ye  know  them,  and  are  cstabHshed  in  the  present  truth.  "I 
think  it  right,  moreover,  as  long  as  I  am  in  this  tent,  to  awaken 
you  by  admonition  ;  'M-cnowing  that  speedily  my  tent  is  to  be 
laid  aside,  even  as  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  made  it  clear  to 
me.  '^I  will  also  hasten  that,  after  my  departure,  ye  may 
ever  have  it  in  your  power  to  recall  these  things.  '"For  we 
made  known  to  you  the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  not  after  Ave  had  followed  cunningly  devised  fables,  but 
after  we  had  been  eye  witnesses  of  his  Majesty:  "for  he  received 
from  God  the  Father  honor  and  glory,  when  a  voice  of  this  sort 
relating  to  him,  came  beneath  the  greatly  befitting  glory,  This 
is  my  Son,  my  beloved,  in  whom  I  delighted.  "And  this  voice 
which  came  from  heaven  we  heard,  when  we  were  with  him  in 
the  holy  mount ;  "and  hence  we  have  firmer  (or,  surer)  the  Pro- 
phetic Word ;  to  which  ye  do  well  in  giving  heed,  as  to  a  lamp 
shining  in  a  gloomy  place,  until  daylight  break  through,  and  the 
light-bringer  arise  [and  shed  his  beams]  in  your  hearts :  ^"know- 
ing this  first,  that  no  scriptural  prophecy  comes  from  [the  pro- 
phet's] own  explanation;  ^'for  prophecy  never  came  by  man's 
Avill,  but  God's  holy  men  spake  as  moved  by  the  holy  Spirit. 

In  this  section  the  apostle  shows  the  propriety  of  his  zeal  in 
previously  enforcing  the  exhortation  respecting  advancement  in 
hoUness  as  necessary  to  the  demonstration  of  the  honesty  of  our 
confession  of  Christ,  the  assurance  of  our  calling  and  election  by 
God,  and  as  making  us  meet  to  be  admitted  into  the  everlasting 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour. 

V.  12.  Whei'efore  I  cdicays  intend  to  remind  you  of  these 
things,  though  ye  know  them  and  are  established  in  the  present 
truth.  MeUyi<jvj  a.zi=\  always  intend,  it  shall  ever,  or  Avhile  I 
live,  be  my  purpose  or  practical  aim.  It  is  the  same  in  significa- 
tion therefore  as  a-ouddaw^  I  will  hasten,  or  jealously  endeavor, 
15  V.  The  MSS.  A.  B.  C.  have  this  reading,  but  G.  K.  have  oh-/. 
aiLtlr^aui^  I  will  not  be  negligent,  or  careless.  Griesbach  edits  the 
latter,  Lachmann  and  Tischendorf,  the  former.  The  sense,  either 
way,  is  exactly  the  same.  The  loherefore.,  indicates  that  Peter  refers! 
to  the  Avhole  preceding  context,  especially  as  taken  in  connection! 
with  the  phrase,  these  things.  If  you  indeed  lean  on  the  riglit- 
eousness  of  our  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  and  recollect  hoAv 


108  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  13,  14. 

Jesus  our  Lord  has  endowed  the  apostles  with  the  sanctifying 
and  extraordinary  gifts  of  his  Spirit,  in  order  to  make  you  like 
God  in  moral  qualities,  you  will  add  to  your  faith  boldness,  etc. 
Thus  only  can  you  prove  to  others,  or  be  sure  yourselves,  that 
your  acknowledgment  of  Christ  is  genume  and  your  regenera- 
tion and  election  certain ;  and  thus  only  can  you  be  admitted 
into  our  Lord's  everlasting  kingdom.      Wherefore  lintend^  etc. 

Though  ye  /cnoio,  etc. :  That  is,  the  utility  of  such  admonitions 
is  not  nullified  by  the  fact  that  you  are  well  acquainted  with  such 
truths,  because  knowledge  and  obedience  Avalk  too  often  at  a 
great  distance  from  each  other.  Plence  admonition  is  perpetu- 
ally necessary.  Established,  firmly  fixed,  in  the  jyixsent  truth, 
is  to  be  fully  convinced  of  its  importance  :  tjj  TLapooarj  aXrjOsia. 
The  jiresent  truth  means  the  truth  I  am  now  inculcating,  and  which 
is  therefore  present  to  your  minds  ;  or,  the  truth  which  needs  noAv 
especially  to  be  enforced.  So  Benson,  McKnight,  Scott,  Dod- 
dridge. Calvin :  prasentem  veritatem  nominat,  in  cujus  posses- 
sionem certa  fide  jam  ingressi  erant.  Robinson,  "the  truth 
Avhich  is  with  you,  which  ye  have  received."  But  we  think  the 
former  explanation  more  natural ;  because  they  could  not  be  es- 
tablished in  any  truth,  unless  their  understanding  and  faith  had 
received  it  as  indubitable  and  important ;  and  what  Peter  says 
is,  that  they  had  so  received  the  truth  he  is  here  inculcating  ;  but 
still  admonition  was  not,  on  that  account,  useless. 

V.  13,  14.  J,  as  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  thinJi;  it  right,  or 
perfectly  consistent  with  my  duty  as  an  apostle.  As  long  as  I 
am  in  this  tent  /  as  long  as  my  soul  sojourns  in  its  jjresent  frail 
abode,  or  while  I  live  in  my  present  body.  Compare  2  Cor.  5:1. 
Thus  says  Bengel,  there  is  intimated  the  immortality  of  the  soul, 
and  its  brief  stay  in  the  mortal  body,  with  the  easy  manner  in 
which  it  departs  in  faith.  To  avKikenyou  dtr^stpsr^  o/xur,  to  rouse 
you  thoroughly  from  sleep,  (Mark  V:  38,  39,)  and  hence  to  stimu- 
late or  excite  the  mind  by  weighty  motives. 
.  I  V,  14.  K?iotoing  that  speedy  is  the  laying  aside  of  my  tent^ 


CHAPTER  I.,  YER.  15.  109 

literally ;  Avhicli  in  our  idiom  is,  knowing  that  speedily  my  tent  is 
to  he  laid  aside.  The  particijile  expresses  a  reason.  I  ever  in- 
tend to  remind  you  of  these  things,  however  well  known  and 
believed,  because  I  am  sure  that  the  time  of  my  death  is  swiftly 
ai»proaching.  There  is  no  need  of  supposing  that  Peter,  at  the 
time  of  writing  this  epistle,  or  just  before,  had  received  a  revela- 
tion concerning  the  nearness  of  his  departure  from  the  world ; 
for  our  Lord  manifested  or  made  that  clear  to  him  by  telling 
him  that  he  would  die  when  old  and  by  crucifixion.  John 
21:  18,  19. 

V.  15.  I  icill  also  hasten  that,  after  my  departure,  ye  may  ever 
Jiave  it  in  your  pom er  to  recall  these  things.  To  hasten  is  to  be 
diligent  and  in  earnest.  He  speaks  of  his  death  as  an  exodus, 
that  is,  a  decease,  or  departure,  going  out  from  the  world ;  as  a 
journey  by  no  means  to  be  dreaded.  See  how  grace  strengthens 
that  Peter  who  once  trembled  before  a  maid,  and  how  it  enables 
him  to  "  strengthen  his  brethren."  The  apostles  speak  not  of 
'•  the  Avorms,"  "  the  narrow  house,"  as  Job  with  less  Ught  did,  and 
as  many  believers  still  do ;  but  they  call  a  believer's  death  a  sleep, 
a  dej^artm-e,  or  a  going  home.  Why  should  we  persist  in  paint- 
ing with  frightful  colors  that  Avhich  all  sentient  creatures  suffi- 
ciently fear  ?  Should  not  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
properly  tame  and  regulate  the  instinctive  dread  of  dying  ?  See 
Heb.  2  :  14,  15.  Tliat  ye  uuiy  ever  have  it  in  your  poxoer,  or  be 
able,  that  is  by  consulting  this  epistle  which  I  am  now  writing, 
as  well  as  the  former  one.  To  recall  these  things,  literally,  to 
make  a  remembrance,  or  collection,  of  these  things.  So,  in  com- 
mon English,  to  make  a  prayer  is  the  same  as  to  pray. 

There  is  a  beautiful  gradation  in  12-15  vs.,  thus  exhibited  by 
Benson :  "  Truths,  though  known  and  finnly  believed,  iu  order 
to  have  their  proper  influence,  should  often  be  called  to  remem- 
brance ;  that  therefore  he  would  put  them  in  remembrance  of 
these  things ;  that  he  would  not  do  it  once,  but  always ;  and 
that  not  only  during  his  life,  but  likewise  after  his  decease,  i.  e.. 


110  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  16. 

by  leaving   these   two   ej)istles   beliind   him,  as  their    constant 
monitors." 

Peter's  haste,  or  eager  desire  and  effort,  to  finish  this  epistle 
before  his  martyrdom,  shows  that  the  apostle  considered  wrltteu 
documents  far  preferable  to  oral  tradition,  as  a  means  of  trans- 
mitting important  truths  to  posterity ;  and  better  even  to  those 
then  living  who  should  survive  him ;  and,  accordingly,  that  he 
had  not  that  dread  of  the  indiscriminate  circulation  and  perusal 
of  the  Scriptures  in  the  mother  tongue  of  the  people  which  his 
so-called  successors  have  evinced. 

V.  16.  For  xoe  made  knoion  to  you  the  potoer  and  coming  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  etc.  Peter  now  proceeds  to  declare  the  cer- 
tainty of  the  second  coming  of  our  Lord,  in  order  to  admit  the 
holy  into  his  everlasting  kingdom.  This  interpretation  is  alone 
consistent  with  the  preceding  context.  I  will  hasten  that,  after 
my  departure,  ye  may  ever  have  it  in  your  power  to  recall  these 
things,  namely,  the  necessity  of  progress  in  holiness  to  show  the 
reality  of  your  profession,  the  subjective  assurance  of  your  effect- 
ual' calling  and  consequent  election ;  to  give  you  the  cheermg  an- 
ticipation that  you  shall  not  ultimately  fail  of  success,  but  that 
thus  an  entrance  shall  be  richly  supplied  for  yoii  into  the  everlast- 
ing kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  5-11  vs. ;  I 
am  veiy  earnest  in  constantly  reminding  you  of  these  things,  for 
the  powerful  coming  of  Christ  to  reward  his  saints,  by  bringing 
them  into  his  kingdom,  is  no  cunningly  devised  fable,  but  a  fact 
unexceptionably  attested. 

Power  and  coming,  by  hendiadys,  for  powerful  coming,  or  com- 
ing with  power ;  "as  life  and  godliness"  for  a  godly  life,  and  "  glory 
and  excellency"  for  excellent  glory,  1 :  3.  We  made  hwion,  etc., 
i.  e.,  Ave,  the  apostles,  he  speaks  of  himself  together  with  James 
and  John,  who  only  beheld  the  transfiguration  of  the  Lord.  The 
Apostle  Paul,  as  a  preacher  of  this  coming,  need  not  be  ex- 
cluded; for,  although  he  Avas  not  an  eye-Avitness  of  the  transfig- 
uration, yet,  on  his  Avay  to  Damascus,  he  beheld  Christ  in  his 


CHAPTER  I.,  YER.  16.  m 

Majesty,  our  Lord  appearing  to  him,  and  sending  fortli,  at  midday, 
a  light  exceeding  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  Acts  2G  :  13.  He  need 
not  be  excluded,  for  another  reason,  viz.,  because  Paul,  and  liis  help- 
ers, preached  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  in  Asia  Minor,  and  our 
apostle  alludes  thereto,  1  Pet.  1  :  12,  Peter  himself  also  made 
known  the  powerful  coming  of  Christ  to  reward  the  saints  in  his 
first  epistle,  1:  5,  V,  13;  4:  13;  5:  4.  The  objections  to  the 
authenticity  of  this  epistle,  drawn  from  this  verse  by  Xeander 
and  others,  are  refuted  in  the  Introduction. 

The  main  action  of  the  apostles  is  expressed  by  the  clause, 

"  We  made  known  to  you  the  poAver  and  coming  of  our  Lord 

Jesus  Christ ;"  the  circumstances  accompanying  the  action  by 

participial  clauses :   literally,   '  Not  having   followed  cunningly 

devised  fables,  but  having  been  eye-witnesses  of  his  majesty ;' 

which,  in  our  idiom,  is  better  expressed  by,  '  Not  after  we  had 

followed,'  etc.     E^axo?.ouOrj(ravT£^ :  the  verb  means  to  follow  out 

and  out  as  a  guide  :    as  in  2  :   2,  15,  and  XXA".  /    Isa.  56  :  11  ; 

Amos  4:2.     '  We  apostles  made  known  to  you  the  powerful 

coming  of  Christ,  to  bring  you  into  his  kingdom,  not  after  we 

bad  contrived  it  skilfully  as  fables  are  composed  by  ino-enious 

men,  as  false  teachers  assert,  but,  after  Ave  had  been  eye-Avitnesses 

of  His  Majesty,'  or,   '  We  have  not  imitated  the  Rabbins,  False 

Teachers,  or  heathen  mythologists,  in  contriving  and  publishing*- 

fables,  since  our  Lord's  powerful  coming  is  a  fact  Avell  attested.' 

JEye-icitnesses  of  His  3Iajesty;  t-or.-ai  =  lookers  on,  beholders, 

eye-witnesses;  compare  ^-o-t£(3<«,  1  Pet.  2 :  12;  3:   2.     Majesty, 

(isyalziurr,':^  greatness  by  Avay  of  eminence,  as  in  Luke  9 :  43  ;  a 

word  highly  appropriate  to  the  Great  King,  God-Man,  Luke  1  : 

31-33.     Mvca)Mtjovri^  majesty,  is  applied  to  God  the  Father,  Hob. 

1:3.     "  He  sat  doAvn  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high ;" 

where  "  the  Majesty,"  or  the  Greatness,  is  the  abstract  for  the 

concrete,  the  Greatness  for  God,  A\'ho  alone  is  Great ;  or  for  the 

Father  as  the  King  of  the  L^'niverse,  at  Avhose  side  Christ  now 

sits.     In  like  manner,  must-  "  His  Majesty"  be  understood  liere  *. 


112  CHAPTER  L,  VER.  IG. 

'  We  made  known  to  you  the  i^owerful  coming  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  not  after  we  had  followed  cunningly  devised  fables, 
but  after  wc  had,  with  our  own  eyes,  beheld  our  Great  King  hi 
glory.'  Peter  alludes  to  the  wonderful  change,  or  transforma- 
tion of  Christ's  bodily  appearance  on  the  mount,  when  his  face 
shone  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  became  white  as  the  light,  or 
like  dazzling  snow.  (Matt.  17;  Luke  9;  Mark  9.)  Then  some 
rays  of  his  indwelling  Godhead  burst  forth  through  his  human 
frame ;  then  "  he  manifested  forth  his  glory"  as  God  in  flesh  ; 
then  the  apostles  beheld  the  King,  who  is  coming  to  introduce 
all  the  holy  into  his  everlasting  kingdom. 

Calvin,  in  his  exposition  of  this  verse,  says  that  Peter  is  showing 
the  truth  and  certainty  of  the  gospel ;  referring  "power"  to  Christ's 
miracles,  and  "  coming"  to  his  first  appearance  among  men. 
And,  on  Matt.  16:  28,  he  exjjlains  the  coming  of  Christ  in  his 
kingdom  of  his  first  coming,  connected  with  his  resurrection  and 
glory  in  heaven  ;  and  that  this  coming  was  evinced  by  the  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  rapid  propagation  of  the 
gospel  thence  ensuing.  And  herein  he  is  followed  by  most  inter- 
preters. It  is  strange,  that  a  man  so  acute  and  profound  as  Cal- 
vin was,  could  give  such  an  interpretation.  He  is  unquestion- 
ably mistaken;  for  (1)  Peter  is  here  speaking  of  the  certainty  of 
the  second  coming  of  our  Lord  to  reward  the  holy  ;  of  his  com- 
ing as  King,  to  admit  such  into  his  everlasting  kingdom,  as  the 
preceding  context  demonstrates,  (2.)  The  noun  r.apouaia^  when 
applied  to  our  Saviour,  always  means  his  second  personal  arrival, 
or  coming  to  our  world.  It  never,  in  the  New  Testament,  is  used 
to  denote  his  first  coming.  See  Matt.  24:  3,  27,  37,  39;  1  Cor. 
15  :  23  ;  1  Thess.  2:9;  3:13;  4:15;  5  :  23  ;  2  Thess.  2:1,  8  ; 
Jas.  5 :  7,  8  ;  2  Pet.  1  :  16  ;  3  :  4  ;  1  Jno.  2  :  28.  (3.)  Neither 
does  this  word  ever  denote  a  providential  coming  of  Christ,  as 
some  explain  it,  in  Matt.  24.  Christ,  seated  at  the  Father's 
right  hand,  sent  the  Roman  armies  to  destroy  Jerusalem ;  this, 
however  is  not  denoted  by  "his  coming:"  he  will  not  come  till 


CHAPTER  I.,  YER.  16.  113 

the  consummation  of  tlie  age,  Matt.  24:  3.  "For,  as  the  light- 
ning comes  out  of  the  east  and  shines  unto  the  west,  so  sliall  be 
the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man."  Matt.  24  :  27.  (In  a  simile, 
the  things  compared  are  always  to  he  taken  literally  :  e.  g.  The 
Prophetic  Word  is  compared  to  a  lamp  or  candle  shining  in 
a  dismal  place,  1:  19,  and  both  are  to  be  literally  taken.  Let 
this  be  denied,  and  then  it  will  be  impossible  for  the  wit  of  man 
to  discover  what  tTiings  are  compared,  or  in  what  the  likeness 
consists :  and  so  in  other  instances.)  (4.)  Neither  is  parousia, 
or  coming,  ever  used  in  the  New  Testament  to  signify  the  ope- 
rations of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  propogation  of  the  gospel.  (5.) 
Besides,  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  his  kingdom,  (Matt.  10: 
28,)  has  no  reference  whatever  to  the  present  form  of  it,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  the  context.  "  For  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  the 
glory  of  his  Father  with  his  angels,  and  then  he  shall  pay  off  each 
one  according  to  his  doing.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  there  are 
some  standing  here  which  shall  in  no  wise  taste  death,  until  they 
see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  his  kingdom."  Matt.  16  :  27,  28. 
And  six  days  after,  Christ  was  transfigured,  and  Peter,  James, 
and  John  were  eye-witnesses  of  his  Majesty.  Matt.  27.  Now, 
surely,  our  Lord  did  not  appear  with  his  angels,  nor  reward 
every  one  according  to  his  deeds,  at  the  institution  of  the  Chris- 
tian church  by  the  apostles ;  but  these  things  are  only  to  occur 
at  his  second  coming.    Calvin's  interpretation,  then,  is  untenable. 

Sherlock,*  Benson,  McKnight,  and  Barnes,  understand  the 
apostle  as  referrmg  to  Christ's  second  coming. 

If  it  be  asked,  what  connection  has  the  transliguration  of  our 
Lord  with  his  second  coming  in  power  and  glory?  Ave  rei)ly,  that 
it  was  a  specimen  of  it ;  a  miniature,  or  picture,  so  to  speak;  or 
an  outward  representation  to  the  three  apostles  of  the  manner  in 
which  he  shall  come  in  his  kingdom,  tlien  to  establish  it  on  the 
renovated  earth.     Calvin  on  Matt.  10  :  28.     Quia  secum  adhuc 

*  "  Discourses  on  the  Use  and  Inteut  of  Prophecy." 


114  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  17. 

disceptare  poterant  discipuli  quando  futurus  esset  ille  dies.  Do- 
minus  eos  propriore  fiducia  erigit,  qiiod  scilicet  futurse  suae 
glorise  specimen  brevi  daturas  sit.  Bengel :  Transformatio  in 
monte  specimen  est  revelationis  gloria)  in  die  novissimo  :  et  iianc 
revelationem  spectat  omne  testimonium  apostolorum.  Acts  10:  42. 

The  witnesses  of  the  transfiguration  were  James,  Peter,  and 
John  ;  also  Elijah  and  Moses  from  heaven.  Now  Elijah  in  body 
was  changed  from  mortal  to  immortal  in  an  instant,  perfectly 
sanctified  in  spirit,  and  so  translated.  Moses  also  appeared  in 
glory,  Luke  9:31;  most  likely,  in  a  body  prepared  for  the  occa- 
sion. It  is  said  indeed,  that  the  Lord  buried  him,  (Deut.  34 : 
6,)  but  it  is  no  where  said  that  He  raised  him  from  the  dead. 
And  hence,  his  body  is  to  be  made  incorrujDtible  Avlien  Christ 
comes.  But  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  towered  above  all  in  His 
Majesty,  as  the  Great  King,  the  Son  of  the  Higbest,  and  the  Son 
of  David.  If,  then,  the  transfiguration  be  a  specimen  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  Christ  is  to  come  in  his  kingdom,  it  shows  that  the 
saints  are  to  be  raised  from  the  dead,  like  Moses ;  the  living 
saints  changed  from  mortal  to  immortal,  like  Elijah ;  and  men  in 
the  natural  body,  like  Peter,  James  and  John,  are  to  belong  to 
his  everlasting  kingdom. 

V.  17.  For  he  received  from  God,  the  Father,  ho^ior  and 
glory,  ichen  a  voice  of  this  sort  relating  to  him  came  beneath  the 
greatly  befitting  glory :  This  is  my  jSon,  my  JBeloved,  in  whom 
I  delighted.  Honor  and  glory  —  most  distinguished  honor ;  as 
in  Pet,  1:7;  Rom.  2 :  9,  the  repetition  of  synonymous  nouns  de- 
notes intensity.  We  did  not  follow  skilfully  contrived  fibles 
when  we  made  known  to  you  the  powerful  coming  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  we  did  not  assure  you  of  the  certainty  of  that  with- 
out the  very  best  evidence  for  it ;  for  God  the  Father,  at  the 
transfiguration,  acknowledged  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  his  be- 
loved Son,  '  the  Lord  of  the  Avhole  earth.'  7T7«?m  a  voice  of  this 
sort  relating  to  hitn  was  brought  [i.  e.,  to  our  ears)  xmder  the 
greatly  befitting  glory :  this  is  the  strictly  literal  version.     A 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  11.  115 

voice  is  used  by  metonomy  for  the  declaration  or  sentence  uttered 
by  it.  A  voice  of  this  sort,  such  a  declaration  as  immediately 
follows,  thou  art  My  Son,  etc.  Christ  certainly  heard  that  voice, 
but  the  design  of  the  apostle  is  to  show  that  this  voice  came  to 
their  ears,  as  he  says  also  in  the  next  verse.  This  voice  had  re- 
ference to  Christ  alone,  au-w :  this  pronoun  is  employed  to  de- 
signate Ilim  alone  as  the  person  honored  by  the  Father;  it  limits, 
or  restricts,  the  general  exjiression,  as  the  dative  is  used  in  1  Pet. 
4:6;  Eph.  4:  18.  'Was  borne,  or  brought  beneath  the  greatly 
befitting  glory:  ^cujyjg  h^yOeinri^  v~d  TTjq.  .  .  .  This  means, 
'  Came  down  from  the  greatly  befitting  glory,'  or  '  was  heard 
by  us  beneath  it."  The  greatly  befitting  glory  shoAvs  that  Peter' 
did  not  deem  Christ  too  much  honored  by  such  an  attestation 
from  God  the  Father  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  highly  becoming 
to  His  Majesty. 

Glory,  here,  means  brightness,  as  in  1  Coi\  15  :  41  ;  Acts  22  : 
11;  Luke  9:  31,32.  Peter  alludes  to  "the  bright  cloud  that 
overshadowed  them,  and  behold  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  Avhich 
said,"  etc.  Matt.  17:5;  Mark  9:7;  Luke  9  :  34,  35.  The  pillar 
of  cloud  by  day,  and  of  fire  by  night,  which  attended  Israel  in  the 
Avilderness,  which  rested  on  the  ark  in  the  tabernacle,  and  after- 
wards in  the  temple,  was  the  visible  sign  of  Jehovah's  presence, 
andis  called  the  glory  of  Jehovah.  See  Ex.  24  :  15-17  ;  49  :  34-38  ; 
2  Chron.  5  :  13,  14.  The  bright  cloud  at  the  transfiguration  was 
the  visible  sign  of  the  presence  of  God  the  Father,  for  His  voice 
it  was  that  declared  Jesus  Christ  to  be  his  beloved  Son.  How 
precisely  this  voice  was  uttered,  is  not  revealed,  and  is  of  no 
practical  importance  to  those  Avho  consider  the  three  apostles  as 
competent  and  credible  witnesses  of  the  foct. 

This  one  is  my  Son,  iny  Heloved,  etc.,  o  ulo^  ;j.ou  6  ayazr/roq 
>u)u  ooToq  tnziv,  dq  ov  iph  ebooxr^ffa,  according  to  the  text  adopted 
by  Tischendorf.  Or,  this  one  is  my  beloved  Son,  according  to 
the  ordinary  reading.  There  is  no  difterence  in  the  sense  ;  only 
the  former  reading  is  more  emphatic  tlmn  the  other.     This  one 


116  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  17. 

refers  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  to  come  in  power,  16  v.  It 
designates  him,  therefore,  as  one  of  Avomau  born,  and  yet  God's 
Son,  Gal.  4  :  4.  This  is  3Iy  Son,  a  partaker  of  my  nature  or 
essence.  The  Son  of  David  as  to  his  human  nature,  but  as  to 
his  holy  divine  nature,  the  Son  of  God,  as  Paul  says,  Rom.  1 :  3 
4.  (See  Hodge  in  loc.)  The  Son  of  David  in  time,  the  Son  of 
God  from  eternity,  or  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  John  1 : 
14.  In  Heb.  1 :  1-3,  Christ,  as  God  in  flesh,  is  called  God's  Son. 
And  so  he  is  here :  This  one  is  3Ty  Son ;  this  human  being 
now  transfigured  before  you,  is  also  very  God. 

My  Beloved:  "  The  Father  loveth  the  Son,"  i.  e.,  he  loves  him 
in  a  way  and  in  a  degree  as  he  loves  none  else,  and  which  none 
but  the  Father  and  the  Son,  from  the  very  nature  of  the  thing, 
can  understand :  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  course,  excepted.  John  5  : 
20  ;  and  3  :  35.  The  Father  loves  the  Son  more  than  the  world, 
(John  3  :  16,)  more  than  angels,  because  He  loves  the  Son  as  Ids 
equals  or  companion.  Zech.  13:7;  Phil.  2:6.  In  v:hom  I  de- 
lighted, or  towards  whom  my  love  has  been  from  eternity 
directed :  si';  ov  tyoj  eoSoxrjffa,  the  aorist  referring  to  the  indefi- 
nite past  eternity,  so  to  speak.  Compare  ProA'.  8  :  23,  30.  Or, 
if  the  aorist  here  be  considered  as  equivalent  to  the  perfect  tense 
in  classical  Greek,  then  the  sense  is.  not  essentially  changed : 
"  Whom  I  have  ever  loved,  and  in  whom  I  still  delight."  Or, 
"  Whom  I  have  ever  delighted  in  as  my  equal,  and  now  delight 
in  as  my  Christ,  sent  to  redeem  men."     Comji.  Col.  1 :  13-15. 

The  shallow  Arian  and  Socinian  interpretation  of  this  declara- 
tion of  the  Father,  as  meaning  simply  the  Christ,  in  their  sense 
of  that  phrase,  receives  no  countenance  in  any  part  of  Scripture  ; 
for  the  Messiah  foretold  by  the  prophets,  and  the  Messiah  de- 
scribed by  the  apostles,  is  one  and  the  same,  namely,  God-Man, 
or  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of  David.  See  Ps.  2  :  Isa.  9  :  6, 
7  ;  Luke  1 :  31-33.  Mic.  5:2-4;  Zech.  14:9;  Rev.  22  :  16  ;  and 
19:  16.  And  these  passages  of  David,  Isaiah,  Micah,  and 
Zechariah,  and  .the  words  of  the  angel  Gabriel  in  Luke,  set  the 


CHAPTER  I,  VER.  18,  19.  11 7 

Messiah,  God-Man,  before  us  as  the  future  King  of  Israel,  and 
Lord  of  the  whole  earth.  They  declare,  in  a  word,  "  the  power 
and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  to  establish  his  everlasting 
kingdom  on  earth,  not  in  heaven.  The  second  Psalm,  for  instance, 
is  very  clear  in  this  matter ;  for  it  speaks  of  rulers  and  peoples 
on  earth  attempting  to  oppose  the  Father  and  his  Christ  as  to 
the  establishment  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom :  foretells  the  vanity 
and  madness  of  their  eiforts,  and  declares  that  the  Father  will 
establish  his  Son  as  King  in  Zion,  and  of  the  whole  world,  1-9  vs. 

V.  18.  And  this  voice  which  came  from  heaven,  from  the  at- 
mosphere, in  which  the  light  cloud  floated  that  overshadowed 
them,  and  out  of  which  the  voice  came,  as  the  sacred  historians 
testify.  The  mountain  is  deservedly  called  holy,  or  consecrated, 
that  is,  hallowed  for  the  time  by  the  extraordinary  manifestations 
of  the  presence  of  God  the  Father.  Compare  Ex.  3:5;  Josh.  5  :  15. 
It  is  not  certain  that  Mount  Tabor  was  the  scene  of  the  Transfig- 
uration ;  it  is  more  probable  that  it  was  a  mountain  near  Cesjerea 
Philippi.  (See  Robinson  and  Smitii ;  "Biblical  Researches," 
Vol.  3,  pp.  221,  222.) 

V.  19.  And  hence  we  have  finner  (or,  surer,)  the  I^rophetic 
IVord .'  xai  e^ofjLsv  /i-lia'.u^Bpov  ruv  —po<frjTC/.o\  ?,uyov,  =  xai  ^j/J-^v 
li.alXov  eiSslSaicuOvj  6  Trpo^rjzcxdq  Xoy'"^-  The  expression,  "  We  have 
more  firm  the  Prophetic  Word,"  is  equivalent  to  the  Prophetic 
Word  has  been  the  more  confirmed  to  us.  Kai  here  denotes  a 
consequence,  (see  on  5  v.,)  and  is  the  same  in  signification  as 
and  hence,  or  and  so.  TJie  Prophetic  Word  is  the  same  as  pro- 
phecy of  scrijDture,  (20  v.,)  the  prophetic  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. Accordingly  tlie  sense  is,  we,  the  apostles  who  witnessed 
the  Transfiguration  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  beholding  our 
King  in  his  Majesty,  and  all  Avho  credit  our  testimony,  have  the 
Prophetic  Word,  which  treats  so  largely  of  Messiah's  second 
coming  in  power  and  glory,  confirmed  to  us  more  decisively  than 
ever  before ;  inasmuch  as  our  Lord's  Transfiguration  was  design- 
ed to  give  us  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  he  is  to  come  to 


118  CHAPTER  I.  VER.  19. 

establish  liis  everlasting  kingdom ;  and  chiefly,  because  God  the 
Father  himself,  on  that  wonderful  occasion,  declared  our  Lord 
to  be  his  beloved  Son,  that  Son  who  is  portraj^ed  in  the  Pro- 
phetic Word  as  the  future  legitimate  King  of  Israel,  and  the 
rightful  Lord  of  the  whole  earth.     (See  on  17  v.) 

Wlien  the  apostle  says,  "And  so  we  have  more  firm  the 
Prophetic  Word,"  this  does  not  imply  that  there  was  any  want 
of  truthfulness  in  the  Prophetic  Word,  relative  to  this  subject : 
it  was^rm  before  the  Transfiguration,  but  firmer  by  it,  and  after 
it.  The  Prophetic  Word,  treating  of  the  powerful  coming  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  received  additional  proof  and  confirma- 
tion by  his  transfiguration ;  nay  more,  the  highest  jDOSsible  con- 
firmation, by  the  direct  and  immediate  testimony  of  him  who 
cannot  lie. 

Our  translators.  Pott,  Bloomfield,  and  others,  have  mistaken 
the  meaning  of  our  apostle's  words ;  and  their  version,  we  have 
also  a  more  sure  word  of  projihecy,  or,  we  have  also  a  surer 
Word,  the  Prophetic,  disregards  the  order  of  the  original.  To 
justify  this  version  of  Bloomfield  and  the  English  Bible,  P.o^wv 
should  have  followed  immediately  after  ySs/Jajwre/x^v,  but  it  does 
not,  and  there  is  no  manuscript  authority  for  the  transposition. 

The  interpretation  above  given  is,  in  our  judgment,  the  true 
one ;  and  if  so,  other  interpretations  based  on  an  inaccurate 
translation  must  fall  to  the  ground.  For  example :  '  Surer  than 
the  fables  of  false  teachers,'  16  v.,  2,  3.  (Hug.)  'Surer  than  the 
miracle  of  the  Transfiguration ! '  '  Surer  to  us  Jews,'  '  Surer  to 
us  Christians,'  '  surer'  equal  to  '  sure ! '  (See  Calvin,  T.  Smith, 
Doddridge,  Barnes,  and  Sherlock,  Use  and  Intent  of  Prophecy. 
Disc.  I.)  All  which  interpretations,  falsely  so  called,  demon- 
strate that,  when  the  understanding  does  not  see  clearly,  the 
fancy  will  be  sure  to  Avork  blindly. 

To  which  (Prophetic  Word)  ye  do  well  in  giving  heed,  as  to  a 
lamp  shining  in  a  dismal  place,  until  daylight  break  through, 
and  the  light-bringer  arise  [and  shed  his  beams]  m  your  hearts : 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  10.  119 

iJ  xaXai-  -ou:ts  -fiofriyo'^rs^:  coinp.  Phil.  4  :  14,  Gr.  "To  which 
ye  do  Avell  in  giving  heed,"  or,  "  By  giving  heed  to  Avhich,  ye  do 
well."  To  give  heed  is  to  hold  the  mind  to  a  tiling,  to  bring  all 
our  faculties  to  bear  upon  it ;  in  a  Avord,  holi/  attention  to  holy 
things  is  denoted,  including  reverence  and  faith.  See  Acts  8  :  C, 
with  12  v.,  16,  14  ;  1  Tim.  1  :  4;  4:  13  ;  Ileb.  2:  1.  And  these 
words  of  Christ's  legate  contain  a  pungent  reproof  to  those  wlio 
affirm  that  the  study  of  unfulfilled  prophecy  is  of  little  import- 
ance ;  as  well  as  those  Avho  tacitly  guide  themselves  hi  biblical 
study  by  that  assumption.  Ye  discharge  your  duty  by  attending 
to  the  Prophetic  Word  as  your  guide  or  directory  until,  etc. 

As  to  a  lam})  shining  in  a  gloomy  place:  h'jyvoq^  a  lamp  or 
candle,  as  in  Matt.  5:  15;  6:  22.  "Thy  word  is  a  lamp  to  my 
feet,  and  a  light  to  my  path,"  Ps.  119:  105.  The  adjective 
auyjirjpuq,  squalidus,  is  evidently  used  here  as  equivalent  to  dark 
and  filthy,  as  a  prison,  or  room  of  a  house ;  gloomy,  dismal  and 
dark.  Our  world,  in  which  sin  and  death  still  prevail,  is  like 
such  a  dungeon  ;  the  room  in  which  we  now  abide  is  a  filthy,  dis- 
mal place.  The  great  day  of  Christ  has  not  yet  dawned  upon  it. 
Phil.  2  :  16  ;  2  Pet.  3  :  10-12,  with  4  v.  3lIost  interpreters  suppose, 
the  apostle  by  this  comparison  intends  to  show,  that  pro- 
phecy gives  but  a  dim  and  glimmering  light,  like  a  lamp  that 
guides  the  footsteps  of  the  traveler  in  the  night ;  or,  that  the 
Prophetic  Word  is  designedly  obscure,  and  was  contrived  by 
God  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  us  but  imperfect  information 
concerning  Christ's  second  coming,  and  other  future  events. 
Calvin,  however,  dissents  from  this  view  of  the  simile;  Nee  vero 
lucerna^  similitudine  utitur,  ut  tenuem  et  restrictam  lucem  signi- 
ficet,  etc.  And  we  think  his  judgment  in  this  particular  is  cor- 
rect ;  for  the  Prophetic  Word,  at  least  the  most  part  of  it,  is  not 
obscure,  but  Avritteu  in  language  literal  and  figurative,  such  as 
men  ordinarily  use,  the  laws  of  Avhich  are  Avell  defined  and  not 
Iiard  to  be  understood.  Isaiah,  for  example,  can  be  explained 
with  as  much  ease  as  Homer  by  those   Avho   will  attend  to   the 


120  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  19. 

laws  and  characteristics  of  language,  both  grammatical  and  rhe- 
torical.    Besides,  Peter  does  not,  as  it  seems  to  us,  say  that  we 
must  attend  to  the  Prophetic  Word  as  a  man  uses  a  lamp  out  of 
doors  in  the  thick  darkness,  as  in  Ps.  119:  105  ;  but  he  likens  it 
to  a  lamp  shining  in  a  dismal  place,  dreary  prison  or  house.    Thus 
Benson,  and  Theophilus   of  Antiocli.     (See   the   Introduction.) 
This  is  indeed  a  rare  use  of  the  word  r6~o<;,  but  not  without  ex- 
amj^le.     Matt.  28:  6.     "See  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay;"  the 
room  or  niche  in   the   sepiilchre.     Luke   2:7.     "  Because  there 
was  no  2)kice  for  them  in  the  inn,"  i.  e.,  no  room  in  the  caravan- 
sary vacant  into  which  they   could  retire.     Acts  4  :  31.     "The 
2)lace  was  shaken  where   they   were   assembled ;"  the  house  or 
room.     Now,  however  cheerless  or  filthy  a  room  may  be,  a  lamp 
gives  light  to  all  in  the  apartment.     (Matt.  5  :  15.)     "  Xeither  do 
/       men   light  a  lamp,  Xu-£mvj,  and  ^wt  it   under  a  bushel,  but  on  a 
^  '      lamp-stand,  and  then  it  gives  light  to  all  in  the  house.^''     As  a 
"N      lamp  shines  in  a  gloomy  room,  so  the  Prophetic  "VYord  enlightens 
^       us  as  to  the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     Ye 
X      should  therefore  give  heed  to  it  until,  etc. 

Until  the  day  dawn,  (or,  daylight  hreah  through,)  and  the 
Ught-hringer  arise  [and  shed  his  beams]  in  your  hearts  :  iwq  vo 
r^iiipa  diauydffTj  xat  (ptDqcfopoq  a-ja-zilr^  Iv  rdl^  y.apocac^  v/iuiv.  Day, 
7j!iipa,  is  the  same  as  daylight,  as  in  2 :  13.  The  day  meant,  is 
"  the  day  of  Christ,"  in  which  he  will  appear  to  admit  the  holy 
into  his  kingdom.  At  that  epoch  it  will  be  indeed  daylight,  for 
then  the  righteous  shall  shine  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  aj^point- 
ed  for  them  by  their  Father  in  Christ.  Then  there  will  be  a 
renovated  Avorld,  in  which  dwelleth  righteousness,  3  :  13.  Then 
the  will  of  God  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven. 
Then  "  the  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth."  Then  all  kings  shall 
fall  down  before  our  Saviour,  and  all  nations  shall  serve  him, 
Ps.  72  :  11.  'Give  heed  to  the  Projihetic  Word  until  the  morn- 
ing of  Christ's  day ;  until  the  beams  which  betoken  the  rising  of 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness  are  distinctly  visible. 


IJHAPTER  I.,  VER.  20.  121 

And  the  Ught-hringer  arise  in  your  hearts  :  this  is  the  Uteral 
version.  The  noun,  Ught-bringer,  ipiocupopoq^  means  either  the 
morning  star,  or  the  sun ;  but  it  is  better  to  consider  it  as  signify- 
ing the  sun,  the  liglit-bringer  to  our  world.  In  Rev.  22 :  16, 
Jesus  calls  himself  "  the  bright  morning  star  ;"  but  the  word  star 
is  not  used  by  our  apostle  ;  it  is  not  in  the  original.  The  Messiah 
is  named  "the  sun  of  righteousness "  by  the  prophet  Malachi: 
Comp.  Ps.  84:  11.  Now,  it  would  be  a  very  incongruous  figure 
indeed  to  suppose  that  Peter  intended  to  speak  either  of  a  star 
or  of  the  sun  arising  in  liuman  hearts :  it  is  a  pregnant  construc- 
tion, and  the  sense  is,  And  the  sun  shall  arise,  and  by  arising  shed 
his  beams  in  (or,  on)  your  hearts.  The  word  "  heart  "  in  scrip- 
ture denotes  both  the  intellectual  and  moral  faculties  ;  and  as 
there  is  nothing  here  to  restrict  it  to  the  understanding  alone  or 
to  the  affections  exclusively,  it  is  best  to  understand  it  of  both. 
Give  heed  to  the  Prophetic  Word  until  the  great  epoch  for  the 
establishment  of  Christ's  everlasting  kingdom  arrives,  and  our 
Lord  himself,  the  sun  of  righteousness,  by  his  coming  flashes 
irresistible  conviction  on  your  understanding,  and  enkindles  your 
affections  to  the  highest  degree.  Then  the  saints  Avill  rejoice 
before  Jehovah-Christ,  their  king.  See  Ps.  98 :  4-9  ;  Isa.  25  :  8,  9. 
The  natural  language  of  our  hearts  then  will  be,  "  Lo,  this  is  our 
God ;  we  have  waited  for  him,  and  he  will  save  us "  [in  the 
eternity  to  come ;]  "  This  is  Jehovah  ;  we  have  waited  for  him, 
Ave  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  his  salvation." 

It  is  no  valid  objection  to  this  interpretation  that  it  represents 
that  day  as  near;  for  this  is  the  usual  scriptural  method  of  treat- 
ing the  subject.  Matt.  24  :  44  ;  25  :  13;  1  Thess.  4  :  15.  The 
day  and  the  hour,  the  Father  has  reserved  to  himself;  commis- 
sioning no  angel,  projjhet  or  apostle,  nor  even  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  himself,  to  make  it  known.  The  right  posture  of  our 
liearts,  therefore,  is  "^o  wait  for  his  Son  from  heaven^  1  Thess. 
1  :  10  ;  1  Cor.  1:7;  Col.  3  :  4  ;  1  Jno.  3 :  2. 

V.  20.  Knowing  tJiis  first  that  not  any  prox>hecy  of  scriptwc 


122  CHAPTER  I.,  YER.  20. 

begins  to  he  of  (or,  from)  oicn  explanatloii.  This  bald  literal 
version  corresponds  to  the  original,  and  may  be  of  use  to  the 
mere  English  reader,  in  order  to  an  intelligent  view  of  the  ex- 
position now  to  be  given.  The  participle  hioicing,  expresses  a 
supposition  assumed  as  true,  3:3.  '  By  giving  heed  to  the  Prophetic 
Word  ye  do  well,  provided  ye  know,  as  I  take  for  granted,  this 
fact,  that  no  prophecy,  etc'  First,  in  importance,  especially, 
Prophecy  of  /Scripture— in-o-phecj  contained  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, or  Scriptural  Prophecy :  thus  true  prophecy  is  denoted  as 
opposed  to  divination.  False  prophecy  may  be  found  in  many 
books,  but  the  true  only  in  Scripture.  Begins  to  he^  or,  comes  of, 
ybzTai:  "Before  Abi'aham  began  to  be,"  etc.  John  8:  58; 
Matt.  8  :  24  ;  2  Pet.  2:1.  "False  jDrophets  began  to  be  among 
the  people,"  or,  false  prophets  arose  among  them.  Gal.  4  :  4. 
"  God  sent  forth  his  Son,  horn  of  a  Avoman  ;"  or,  who,  as  to  his 
human  nature,  began  to  be  of,  or  took  his  origin  from,  a  woman. 
Now  Peter  denies  that  Scriptural  Prophecy  begins  to  be,  or 
ai*ises  from  own  explanation.  Any  one  can  discern  that  this 
clause  means  more  than  what  is  literally  said;  and  it  may  be 
called  a  pregnant  construction,  or  elUptical  expression,  as  the 
reader  deems  best.  Something  must  be  supplied  to  make  it  in- 
telligible in  our  idiom ;  but  this  must  be  perfectly  consistent  with 
the  subject  and  aim  of  the  writer.  The  main  subject  is  Christ's 
second  coming  ;  the  aim  here,  and  in  the  following  Aerse,  is  to 
direct  them  and  us  how  to  attend  to  Scriptural  Prophecy,  namely, 
with  reverence  and  faith.  We  must  especially  know,  by  exam- 
ining the  evidence  in  the  case,  that  Scriptural  Prophecy  is  not  of 
human,  but  of  divine  original ;  or,  that  the  Old  Testament  pro- 
phecies are  not  a  record  of  human  conjectures  and  shrewd  guesses, 
not  an  explanation  or  unfolding  simply  of  what  the  prophets 
thought  or  willed,  but  a  revelation  of  God's  mind  and  will.  The 
ellipsis,  then,  may  be  supplied  thus :  "  Provided  ye  first  know 
this,  that  no  scriptural  prophecy  comes  of  the  pi^ophefs  own  ex- 
planation ;"  i.  e.,  scriptural  prophecy  is  not  an  explanation  of  the 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  20.  123 

prophet's  own  mind  or  will :  it  is  not  a  revelation  of  liis 
thoughts,  but  of  God's. 

But  if  we  translate  the  thoxtght  of  the  apostle,  then  the  best 
version  is  as  follows:  "Provided  ye  first  know  this,  that  no 
scriptural  prophecy  is  of  the  prophet's  own  invention." 

Calvin,  Mill,  Benson,  McKnight,  T.  Smith,  Whitby,  Doddridge 
and  Robinson,  agree  that  the  meaning  is  as  above  explained ; 
though  they  arrive  at  the  same  result  somewhat  differently. 
That  this  is  the  only  true  interpretation  appears,  not  only  from  the 
following  words,  "for  i:)rophecy  never  came  by  man's  will,"  but 
also  from  the  untenableness  of  the  other  explanations  that  have 
been  proposed. 

Let  us  look  at  these  suggestions  and  see  whether  they  do  not 
lead  us  to  the  true  interpretation.  Grotius  suggests  an  emen- 
dation of  the  text,  e-r^Xuasioq  for  £-c?.u(7euj/;.  He  miglit  also  liavo 
suggested  s-iXuaiaq.  But  the  fundamental  rule  of  biblical  criti- 
cism is  to  alter  nothing  by  conjecture  ;  and  no  manuscript  ex- 
amined contains  either  of  the  words  :  nine,  according  to  Tischen- 
dorf,  has  SiaXoasuiq,  and  that  is  the  only  various  reading  noticed 
by  him.     The  text  therefore,  is  unassailable. 

Ilorsely  rashly  assumes  that  the  design  of  the  apostle  in  this 
verse  is  to  give  us  a  rule,  or  leading  principle,  whereby  we  must 
interpret  prophecy.  ("Sermons"  XV.,  XVI.,  XVIL,  VXIII.) 
He  contends  that  Peter's  meaning  is,  "  that  no  prophecy  of 
scripture  is  of  self-interpretation  ;  that  is,  that  no  single  prophecy 
is  its  own  interpreter,  because  the  scripture  prophecies  are  not 
detached  predictions  of  separate,  independent  events,  but  arc 
imited  in  a  regular  and  entire  system,  all  terminating  in  one  great 
object — the  promulgation  of  the  gospel,  and  the  complete  estab- 
lishment of  the  Messiah's  kingdom.  Of  this  system,  every  par- 
ticular prophecy  makes  a  i)art,  and  bears  a  more  immediate  or  a 
more  remote  relation  to  that  which  is  the  object  of  the  whole. 
It  is  therefore,  very  unlikely,  that  the  true  signification  of  any 
particular  text  of  prophecy  should  be  discovered  from  the  bare 


124  CHAPTER  L,  VER.  20. 

attention  to  the  terms  of  the  single  prediction,  taken  by  itself, 
Avithout  considering  it  as  a  part  of  that  sj'stem,  to  which  it  un- 
questionably belongs,  and  without  observing  how  it  may  stand 
connected  with  earlier  and  later  prophecies,  especially  with  those 
which  might  more  immediately  precede,  or  more  immediately 
follow  it.  Again,  of  the  whole  of  the  scripture  prophecies,  it  is 
true  that  it  cannot  be  its  own  interpreter.  Its  meaning  never 
can  be  discovered,  without  a  general  knowledge  of  the  principal 
events  to  which  it  alludes ;  for  jDrophecy  was  not  given  to  enable 
curious  men  to  pry  into  futurity,  but  to  enable  the  serious  and 
considerate  to  discern  in  past  events  the  hand  of  Providence." 
This,  Horsley  calls  "  an  infallible  rule  of  interpretation !  " 

Moreover,  he  assigns  a  forced  meaning  to  e-jAu^tc ;  affirming 
xoitliout proof ^  that  "it  is  the  specific  name  of  that  sort  of  expo- 
sition which  renders  the  .mystic  sense  of  parables,  dreams,  and 
prophecies."  Again  he  says:  '"Twas  undoubtedly  within  the 
power  of  the  Almighty  to  have  delivered  the  whole  of  prophecy 
in  terms  no  less  clear  and  explicit  than  those  in  which  the  general 
promises  of  revelation  are  conveyed,  or  pai'ticular  deliverances  of 
the  Jewish  j^eople  occasionally  announced :  but  his  wisdom  re- 
probated this  unreserved  prediction  of  futurity,  because  it  would 
have  enlarged  the  foresight  of  man  beyond  the  proportion  of  his 
other  endowments,  and  beyond  the  degree  adapted  to  his  present 
condition.  To  avoid  this  mischief,  and  to  attain  the  useful  end 
of  prophecy,  which  is  to  afford  the  highest  proof  of  Providence, 
it  was  necessary  \hsit  prophecy  should  he  delivered  in  such  guise  as 
to  be  darh  while  the  event  is  remote^  to  clear  up  as  it  approaches^ 
and  to  he  rendered  perspicuous  hy  the  fulfilment  P  If  this  be  not 
comparing  prophecy  to  "a  lamp  put  under  a  bushel,"  Avhat  can  it 
mean  ?    Does  a  lamp  shining  in  a  gloomy  room  make  it  darh  f 

And  who  supposes  that  scrii3tural  prophecies  are  detatched 
predictions  ?  Who  asserts  the  uselessness  of  historical  study  ? 
Who  denies  the  profit  arising  from  comparing  predictions  with 
one  another,  or  endeavoring  to  gain  a  synoptical  view   of  pro- 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  20.  125 

phecy  as  a  wliole?  But  ho^o  is  it  jiossiblefor  these  jyredictions 
to  he  tmited  in  one  grand  system,  or  unfold  the  one  great  plan 
and  design  of  the  Almighty,  if  the  particular  portions,  each  of 
which  must  help -to  unfold  this  scheme,  a,re  so  tcritten  as  not  to  be 
perspicuotcs  until  after  the  event  foretold  has  come  to  pass  ? 
Can  facts  or  events  make  those  words  plain  which  are  in  them- 
selves dark  ?  According  to  this  view,  scrijitural  projihecy  would 
cease  to  be  a  revelation  from  God,  since  it  would  and  could,  in 
fact,  disclose — nothing.  If  the  chapters  that  make  up  Calvin's 
"  Institutes  of  the  Christian  Religion,"  were,  separately  consider- 
ed, exj)ressed  in  dark  and  enigmatical  language,  how  could  the 
whole  work  be  a  clear  and  able  system  of  divinity  ?  How  could 
a  knowledge  of  the  principal  events  of  Calvin's  life  alone  make 
his  language  in  the  Institutes  perspicuous  ?  If  every  chapter  of 
Isaiah,  in  itself  considered,  is  dark,  hoAV  can  his  whole  book  be 
called  the  vision,  or  revelation,  which  was  imparted  to  him  ? 
What  then  can  it  reveal,  or  how  can  it  ever  be  understood  ?  All 
the  splash  and  dash,  then,  of  apparent  argument  here  shown  by 
Horsley  in  defending  his  explanation  of  the  apostle,  ends  in 
what  may  be  called  critical  foam,  or  learned  nonsense. 

Beza  says :  "  The  prophets  must  indeed  be  read,  but  so  that 
the  gift  of  interpretation  should  be  sought  from  God,  in  order 
that  the  author  and  interpreter  of  the  prophetic  scriptures  may 
be  the  same."  But  here  those  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
which  sanctify  the  human  heart,  and  those  which  qualify  men  to 
be  prophets,  or  interpreters  of  God's  mind  and  will,  are  con- 
founded. Many  prophets  will  be  condemned  by  Christ  when  he 
comes  Avith  power,  because  unholy  and  sinners.  Matt.  7  :  21-23. 
To  be  supernaturally  enlightened  and  to  be  supernaturally  sanc- 
tified then  are  not  the  same,  and  Ave  must  discern  tilings  that 
differ.  With  respect  to  prophecy,  or  holy  scripture  in  general, 
it  is  certainly  true  that  "  study  Avithout  prayer  is  Atheism,  and 
prayer  Avithout  study,  presumption  ;"  yet  prayerful  study  of  the 
prophetic  scriptures  makes  no  one   a  pi'ophet:  if  it  does,  then 


126  CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  20. 

prophecy  comes  by  the  will  of  man,  and  so  all  prayerful  com- 
mentators on  the  prophets  would  be  inspired  ;  which  the  history 
of  interpretation  in  Beza's  own  day  might  have  taught  him  to  be 
baseless,  and  the  same  history  from  that  time  until  now  must 
demonstrate  to  ns.  The  Holy  Ghost  cannot  be  the  author  of 
conflicting  and  contradictory  intepretations.  Besides,  Peter's 
scope  is  not  to  propose  a  rule  of  interpretation,  as  Horsley  sup- 
posed ;  neither  is  it  to  show  from  whom  the  gift  of  interpreting 
j)rophecy  is  to  be  obtained  ;  but  to  declare  that  scriptural  pro- 
phecy is  not  of  himian,  but  of  divine  original,  (20,  21  vs.)  and 
that  therefore  we  should  read,  hear  and  study  it  with  attention, 
reverence  and  faith. 

The  Rhemish  Annotators  thus  briefly  and  crabbedly  remark : 
"  The  scriptures  cannot  be  rightly  expounded  of  every  private 
spirit  or  fantasy  of  the  vulgar  reader ;  but  by  the  same  spii'it 
wherewith  they  were  written,  Avhich  is  resident  in  the  church." 
But  Peter  is  speaking,  not  of  the  scriptures  in  general,  but  of 
prophecy  of  scriptnre.  Next,  the  apostle's  aim  is  not  to  show 
from  whom  the  gift  of  interpreting  prophecy  is  to  be  derived,  as 
just  proved.  Lastly,  it  is  assumed,  without  one  grain  of  proof^ 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  resident  in  the  church  ;  which  is  a  great 
deal  to  take  for  granted.  For  to  assume  that  the  church  means 
the  Roman  clergy,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  vulgar  laic  reader,  is 
limiting  and  confining  the  Holy  Spirit's  inflences  to  pipes  and 
conduits  of  their  own  manufacture.  But  whether  this  interpret- 
ing spirit  resides  in  the  Pope  alone,  or  in  a  general  council 
of  prelates  alone,  or  in  both  combined,  is  a  question  Avhich 
the  Roman  church,  with  its  boasted  infallibility,  has  not  been 
enabled  to  decide.  Until  this  is  done,  we  may  justly  declare 
such  words  as  the  above  to  be,  not  an  interpretation  of  Peter, 
but  a  distinguished  and  characteristic  specimen  of  Roman  arro- 
gance. 

What  our  translators  meant  by  "  any  private  interpretation," 
passes  our  comprehension,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  phrase  is 


CHAPTER  I.,  VER.  21.  127 

an  enigma  to  most  readers.  A  desire  to  be  literal  has  occa- 
sioned a  verbal  version  that  is  unintelligible  as  well  as  inac- 
curate ;  thus  involving  the  present  context  in  darkness  to  the 
mere  English  reader.  ^ 

V.  21.  For  Prophecy  never  came  hy  maiTb  s  tcill :  oh  yap  OsXriiMn. 
ay0pco7:oo  ^'^^X^V  ~p<f^j~-^'J^  ~oTi,  dXXa — .  For  this  position  of  Trcre, 
are  B.  C.  K.  69,  137,  and  many  other  manuscripts.  (Tischen- 
dorf  Griesbach  and  Lachmann  place  it  immediately  after  -^viyOrj.) 
Literally,  For  prophecy  was  not  once  (or,  not  formerly,)  brought 
to  man''s  will;  or  it  never  came  at  the  bidding  of  his  will;  it 
was  never  bestowed  because  he  Avished  or  prayed  for  it,  or  strug- 
gled by  determined  eftbrts  to  obtain  it. 

But  GocVs  holy  men  spake  as  niovedhy  the  Holy  Ghost.  God's 
holy  men,  uywi  -cuu  Ozoo  uvOpw-oi :  A,  and  Vulgate,  Sancti  Dei 
homines:  Griesbach  and  Lachmann,  A'-u  Osuo  av0poj7:oc,  Men 
(sent)/rom  God,  B.  66**  68,  69,  137,  Tischendorf  But  as  holy 
here  means,  not  sanctified,  but  consecrated,  set  apart  by  God 
for  their  office  as  his  spokesmen,  both  readings  convey  precisely 
the  same  thought.  To  be  commissioned  by  God  as  a  prophet, 
and  to  be  consecrated  by  him  to  that  office,  are  identical  in  signi- 
fication. These  consecrated  men  of  God  spake :  this  includes 
their  writings;  they  taught,  orally  and  by  the  pen.  1  Pet.  4:11. 
2  Pet.  3:16;  Jas.  5:10;  Acts  2:31,  and  3  :  24.  Moved  hy  the 
Holy  Spirit;  literally,  home  on,  {carried  or  moved)  tinder  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  ^jass/ve  participle  is  employed  to  denote  that 
the  prophets  were  recipients  of  a  gift  bestowed.  Under,  o-o, 
=  under  the  controlling  influence  ofj  or  by  the  agency  of,  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Accordingly  the  sense  is :  Scriptural  i)rophecy  is 
not  an  explanation  of  the  prophet's  own  mind  or  will ;  it  did 
not  originate  in  this  way  ;  for  prophecy  never  came  at  the  bid- 
ding of  man's  will,  but  men  were  set  apart  by  God  for  this 
office,  who  taught  by  the  voice  and  pen  under  tlie  controlling 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  by  his  suggestion  and  agency. 
See  Doddridge  in  loo ,  and  comp.  Ileb.  1:1;  Rom.  1 :  2. 


128  CHAPTER  If. 


CHAPTER  II. 

^False  prophets  moveover  arose  among  the  people,  as  also  false 
teachers  shall  be  among  you,  who  shall  craftily  bring  in  destruc- 
tive heresies,  and  especially  by  denying  that  their  Redeemer  is 
Sovereign  (or  Lord,)  bringing  on  themselves  swift  destruction  : 
^and  many^shall  follow  their  lasci\ious  doings,  by  reason  of  whom 
the  way  of  truth  shall  be  evil  spoken  of  (or  reviled:)  ^and  in 
consequence  of  covetousness,  with  feigned  words  shall  they  buy 
and  sell  you  ;  against  whom  the  judgment  long  since  [threat- 
ened] conies  not  lingeringly,  and  their  destruction  slumbers  not. 

The  apostle,  in  this  chapter,  like  Paul  in  2  1'hess.  2,  predicts, 
not  that  the  gospel  is  everywhere  to  be  successful  in  the  world 
before  Christ's  coming,  according  to  the  prevalent  opinion  of  the 
church  now ;  on  the  contrary,  he  foretells  that  false  teachers 
shall  arise  to  pervert  the  gosj^el,  and  l^ad  many  from  the  way  of 
truth  to  fables ;  and  in  the  next  chapter,  he  predicts  that  our 
Lord's  second  coming  will  be  considered  a  fit  subject  for  irreve- 
rent jesting  or  satirical  contempt.  Li  other  Avords,  our  apostle 
shows  that  the  church  of  Christ,  under  tliis  dispensation,  is  to  be 
infested  with  false  teachers  and  scoffers  iintil  Christ  himself  comes 
in  power  to  make  new  heavens  and  earth  in  which  dwellcth 
righteousness.  Evident  it  is,  therefore,  that  Peter  held  Christ's 
second  coming  to  our  world  to  be  before  the  millennium,  and  not 
after  it ;  before  it,  for  the  very  purpose  of  introducing  and  per- 
petuating his  personal  reign  here. 

Calvin  thus  comments  on  the  first  verse :  "  Since,  at  the  rise 
of  false  teachers  who  corrupt  or  lacerate  the  doctrine  of  faith,  the 
consciences  of  the  weak  are  on  this  account  wont  to  be  shaken 
in  a  powerful  and  dangerous  manner ;  it  Avas  necessary  for  the 
apostle,  as  his  design  was  to  exhort  the  faithful  to  constancy,  to 
take  such  a  stumbling  block  out  of  the  way.  He  also  comforts 
and  strengthens  those  to  whom  he  writes  by  this  argument,  viz., 


CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  1.  129 

tliat  God  lias  always  trained  his  church  by  this  sort  of  trial,  that 
so  their  minds  might  not  be  smitten  with  amazement  as  if  it 
were  a  strange  thing.  Xot  otherwise,  says  Peter,  shall  the  con- 
dition of  the  church  be  under  the  gospel  than  it  was  formerly 
under  the  law:  false  prophets  disturbed  the  ancient  cliurch;  the 
same  must  also  be  looked  for  by  us.  It  became  the  apostle  dis- 
tinctly to  give  this  testimony,  because  many  imagined  a  tranquil 
state  of  the  church  under  Christ's  reign  ;  for  since  the  prophets 
promise  at  his  advent  firm  peace,  the  sum  of  heavenly  wisdom, 
and  a  complete  restoration  of  all  things,  they  did  not  think  that 
the  church  would  any  longer  be  exposed  to  any  contests.  Let 
us  remember,  therefore,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  has  once  for  all 
declared  this,  that  the  church  will  never  be  free  from  this  intes- 
tine evil ;  and  let  us  recollect  this  analogy,  that  the  trial  of  faith 
is  common  to  us  with  the  ancient  saints,  since  there  is  the  same 
reason  for  both,  namely,  that  in  this  way  it  may  apjiear  whether 
Ave  truly  love  God,  as  it  is  written.  Dent.  13  :  3."  Thus  clearly 
does  the  great  reformer  and  expositor  shoAV  that  Peter  exhibits 
the  state  of  the  church  under  the  gospel  as  a  time  of  perpetual 
trial  and  conflict,  not  of  triumph,  and  that  it  will  never  be  other- 
wise while  this  dispensation  of  Christ's  grace  continues. 

V.  1.  False  prophets^  moreover^  arose  among  the  people  ;  i.  e., 
they  Avho  pretended  to  be  under  the  inspiring  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  but  were  not;  they  Avho  made  known  their  own 
mind  and  thoughts,  not  God's.  See  Num.  16  :  28;  Jer.  23  : 
16-2G.  27ie people,  that  is,  Israel,  among  Avhom  were  both  true 
and  false  prophets,  1:  19-21.  As  also  false  teachers  shall  he 
atnong  you^  or  those  who  Avill  promulgate  error  among  professed' 
Christians,  whether  pretending  to  ins])iration  or  not.  "  Notice, "^ 
says  Calvin,  "  that  not  one  period  simply  is  intended  by  Peter, 
when  he  says,  'There  shall  be  false  teachers,'  but  all  ages  are  rather 
comprehended.  For  here  he  compares  Christians  with  the  ancient 
]>eople."  Who  shall  craftily  bring  in,  i.  e.,  into  the  church,  or 
among  you,  professed  disciples :  w'ir.'vE?  r.apsiffd^ouffiv.  The  verb 
9 


130  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  1. 

means  either  to  lead  in  by  the  side  of  another,  bring  forward, 
introduce ;  or  to  bring  in  something  beside  that  which  is  ap- 
parent, introduce  secretly  or  cunningly.     Peter   uses  it  in  the 
latter  signification.     Compare  Gal.  2:4;  Jude,  4  v.     "  To  lead 
in  by  stealth,  to  smuggle  in,"  as  Robinson  hajipily  explains  it. 
Heresies  of  destruction^  alpiast-  ar.oXziai;  equivalent  to  destruc- 
tive heresies,  or  deadly  heresies.     Heresy  strictly  means  choice, 
and  hence  it  is  generally  employed  to  denote  what  we  call  school, 
sect,  or  party.    Acts  5  :  17  ;  15  :  5  ;  26  :  5  ;  28 :  22.    Bi\t  no  school 
of  philosophy,  no  sect,  party,  or  denomination  of  Christians,  can 
be  established  except  it  be  built  on  some  distinguishing  opinion 
or  opinions.     Accordingly   in   this   place   the   word   designates 
both  ;  sects  of  professed  Christians  holding  opinions  destructive 
to  their  eternal  happiness.     False  teachers  who  cunningly  intro- 
duce into  the  church  fatal  errors  and  draw  away  disciples  after 
them,  (Acts  20:  29,  30,)  are  wolves,  not  sparing  the  flock.     And 
it  is  indisputable  that  our  apostle  here  uses  the  word  "  heresies"  to 
designate  hoth  false  doctrinal  vieics,  subversive  of  the  gosj^el,  and 
the  sects  thus  originated^  by  which  the  unity  of  the  visible  church 
has  been  destroyed,  agreeably  to  his  prediction.     For  he  defines 
them  as  "heresies  of  destruction,''''  and  this  word  "destruction" 
denotes  the  second  death,  future  i>unishment,  the  destruction,  not 
of  man's   being,  but  of  his   well-being.     See  Matt.  7:  13;  Acts 
8 :  20  ;  Rom.  9  :  22  ;  Phil.  1  :  28  ;  3  :  19  ;  1  Tim.  G  :  9  ;  Heb.  10  :  39  ; 
Rev.  17:    8,11;   John   17:    12;  2  Thess.  2  :  3,  here  and  3 :   16. 
Comp.  Matt.  10:  28.     The  heresies,  (or  sects  built  on   error,) 
meant  then,  are  of  the  worst  sort,  such  as  leadmento  destruction, 
or  the  loss   of  eternal  life.     "False  prophets   arose,''''  iyivovro, 
began  to  be,  arose,  or  were :  wc za:  =  "  even  as,"  (Rev,  6  :  11,)  "as 
also  among  you  there  shall  be  false  teachers :"  i.  e.,  false  prophets 
appeared  among  the  Israelites  in  all  periods  of  their  history  doAvn 
to  Christ's  first  coming,  also  false  teachers  shall  be  among  you 
Christians  until  his  second  coming. 

Aiid  especially  denying  that  their  Hedeemer  is  [their]  Sover- 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  1.  131 

elgn,  bringing  on  themselves  sioift  destruction :  y.a\  zo'^  ayitfidfra-^za 
ahzohb  dsffnozTj'^  dpvoo/j.zvoc,  ircdyovrs^  iauro'.q  raycAf/  d~ct)Xe'.av. 
And.,  i.  e.,  a7id  in  particidar,  and  especially ;  for  xa:' not  only 
connects  words  and  sentences,  but  also  cmpliatically  distinguishes 
single  Avovd  or  clause,  (Liddell  and  Scott's  Lexicon.)  And  tliat 
in  divers  modes :  e.  g.^  Otu\  y.ai  Zew:,  "  the  gods,  and  aboA^e  all 
(especially)  Jupiter,"  Ozm  xal  Iloffscdmv,  "  the  gods,  and  in  partic- 
ular Neptune,"  ^sch.  Pers.  750.  Where  a  part  is  subjoined  to 
a  whole  by  way  of  emphasis,  says  Robinson,  /.at  may  be  render- 
ed a7id  especially,  imprimis,  Mark  1:5.  "And  there  Avent  out 
unto  him  all  the  land  of  Judea,  a7id  especially  they  of  Jerusalem." 
Mark  16:7.  "  Tell  his  disciples,  andTeter  in ptartictdar,''''  Matt.  8  : 
33.  "They  told  all,  and  especially  the  things  relating  to  the  demon- 
ized."  Precisely  so  here :  '  There  shall  be  false  teachers  among 
you,  men  who  shall  craftily  introduce  into  the  church  deadly 
heresies,  and  in  particular  (or,  especially)  denying  that  their  Re- 
deemer is  Lord.'  Calvin :  Ca;teruni  nos  admonet  Spiritus  Dei,  ut 
intenti  simus  ad  cavendum ;  atqiie  hue  spectat  tota  descriptio 
quam  mox  subjiciet.  Quanquam  singulas  sectas  non  pinget  suis 
coloribus,  sed  peculiariter  sermonem  diriget  in  homines  profanes 
qui  Dei  contemptum  inducunt.  Generalis  quidem  est  sententia, 
Cavendum  esse  a  falsis  doctoribus ;  sed  interea  speciem  unam 
elegit,  undo  plus  instabat  periculi.  Quod  ex  Judaj  verbis  melius 
patet,  qui  idem  prorsus  argumentum  tractat.  Here  Calvin,  in 
substance,  says  that  the  Spirit  of  God  admonishes  us  to  beware 
of  false  teachers,  that  this  is  the  general  thought ;  that  the  apos- 
tle, however,  does  not  portray  each  and  every  heretical  sect  in 
their  appropriate  colors,  but  selects  one  species  or  class  of  the 
false  teachers,  from  Avhose  teachings  and  doings  more  danger 
was  imminent.  It  is  clear  then,  that  he  considered  xai  as  intro- 
ducing a  pi'oposition  which  describes  a  particular  class  of  here- 
tics, or  as  a  part  of  that  of  which  destructive  heresies  is  the 
whole. 

Denying,  that  is,  by  denying,  the  participle   expressing  the 


132  CHAPTER  IT.,  VER.  1. 

inannei'  in  which  they  bring  on  themselves  swift  destruction. 
"  Bringing  on  themselves  swift  destruction  ; "  how  ?  "  By  deny- 
ing that  their  Redeemer  is  Lord,"  It  is  common  in  Greek  for 
words  of  affirming  and  denying,  or  which  have  that  signification, 
to  take  the  accusative  with  the  infinitive,  expressed  or  implied  : 
so  here,  literally :  Denying  tJuit  he  loho  redeemed  them  (is)  Sov- 
ereig?i.  Words  expressive  of  a  mental  act  or  affection  are  com- 
monly construed  in  the  same  way,  as  in  the  thirteenth  verse : 
"  Thinking  that  riot  in  daylight  (is)  Pleasure."  Tiieir  He- 
deemei\  that  is,  acknowledged  as  such :  comp.  2  :  20.  They  con- 
fess liim  as  Redeemer,  but  deny  him  as  8£ffT:6rrjv.  Now  this  word 
means  3faster,  as  opposed  to  slaves,  head  of  a  family ;  its  ruler 
or  governor.  1  Tim.  6:1,2;  Tit.  2  :  9  ;  1  Pet.  2:8.  It  is  also 
applied  to  God  as  the  Sovereign,  ruler  and  master  of  men ;  their 
Lord  whom  they  are  bound  to  obey  by  right  of  creation  ;  as  in 
Acts  4  :  22,  "Sovereign,  thou  who  art  the  Maker  of  heaven  and 
earth  and  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,"  etc.  (Peter  probably 
led  in  this  prayer.)  Luke  2:  29,  "  Sovereign,  (or  Master,  Lord,) 
now  dismiss  thy  servant  in  peace."  etc.  Rev.  6  :  10,  "How  long, 
Sovereign,  holy  and  true,"  etc. 

It  is  also  applied  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  or  to  him  as  both 
Redeemer  and  Lord ;  as  here,  where  it  is  said  that  the  false 
teachers  shall  admit  the  one,  but  deny,  (verbally  or  practically, 
or  in  both  methods,)  the  other.  2  Tim.  2:  21,  is  a  parallel  jias- 
sage :  "  Whoever,  then,  shall  purify  himself  from  these,"  such 
heretics  as  Hymenseus  and  Philetus,  "  he  shall  be  a  vessel  for 
honor,  consecrated,  useful  to  his  Sovereign,''''  etc. :  that  is,  his 
Lord  and  Master  Christ,  as  the  preceding  context  demonstrates. 
Jude,  4  v.  "  Ungodly,  inasmuch  as  they  have  perverted  the 
grace  of  our  God  unto  lasciviousness,  and  deny  Jesus  Christ  our 
only  Sovereign  and  Lord." 

The  ancient  Gnostics  denied  that  Jesus  Christ  was  Sovereign 
or  Lord ;  they  made  him  but  an  iEon,  an  emanation  from  God's 
fullness,  a  sort  of  angel,  only  seemingly  incarnate.     In  a  word, 


CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  1.  133 

they  denied  Ins  precxisteace  as  the  Eternal  Logos  coequal  with 
the  Father,  and  his  incarnation.  In  their  view  he  was  not  Thean- 
thropos,  or  God  in  flesh.  1  Jno.  4 :  1-3.  The  Arians  denied  his 
Godhead  strictly  understood,  and  made  him  to  be  the  first-creat- 
ed and  highest  of  intelligent  beings  in  human  form  ;  which  was 
a  modified  revival  of  the  Gnostic  heresy.  The  Socinians,  with 
the  so-called  Unitarians  of  a  later  period,  admit  him  to  be  a  sinless 
man,  the  greatest  of  God's  prophets,  and  Saviour  ;  but  they  deny 
his  atonement  in  the  scriptural  sense,  and  are  decided  opponents 
of  his  supreme  Godhead.  Most  modern  Unitarians  also  deny 
the  everlasting  duration  of  the  punishment  of  the  Avicked ; 
assimilating  herein  with  the  Universalists,  who  contend  that  all, 
without  exception,  are  saved  at  death  ;  or  with  the  Restoration- 
ists  who  believe,  that  all  at  last  will  be  saved,  the  more  aban- 
doned, however,  being  punished  in  a  sort  of  purgatory  for  an 
undefined  period  hereafter.  The  prediction  in  this  verse  then, 
inclusive  of  the  denial  by  false  teachers  of  the  future  punishment 
of  the  wicked  by  Jesus  Christ,  has  been  and  is  abundantly 
fulfilled. 

The  Redeemer  is  practically  denied  to  be  Lord  and  Master, 
when  his  professed  disciples  are  heedless  in  obeying  him  ;  when 
they  set  aside  his  authority  as  the  Law-giver  of  the  church,  and 
act  as  they  please,  and  not  as  the  Lord  Jesus  commands ;  or 
when  they  act  on  the  supposition  that  there  is  grace  in  Christ, 
but  not  justice,  and  that  he  will  not,  as  judge,  consign  any  to 
everlasting  punishment,  contrary  to  clear  and  emphatic  warn- 
ings from  Christ  himself.     Matt.  10:  28  ;  25  :  46  ;  Rev.  2  :  23. 

Bringing  on  themselves  swift  destruction.  This  shows  that 
to  deny  our  Redeemer  to  be  Lord  is  a  destructive  heresy.  Such 
professors  may  flatter  themselves  that  their  error  is  harmless,  a 
mistake  that  the  merciful  Saviour  will  readily  forgive.  But  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  has  in  the  clearest  manner  taught  that  our  Re- 
deemer is  Sovereign,  God-Man,  and  Judge;  that  eternal  life 
aAvaits  the  believing  and  holy,  and  everlasting  punishment  the 


134  CHAPTER  11.,  VER.  2. 

unbelieving  and  wicked.  If  these  things  be  not  indubitable,  the 
holy  scriptures  reveal  nothing  that  can  be  relied  on.  And  they 
who  are  blmd,  willingly  shutting  their  eyes  against  the  light, 
(9  V.,)  bring  on  themselves  destruction ;  or  are  the  authors  of 
their  everlasting  misery.  It  cannot  be  an  innocent  or  harmless 
thing  to  entertain  false  views  of  Jesus  Christ  for  those  who  have 
in  their  hands  the  scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament. 
The  apostles  unquestionably  represent  him  as  Theanthroi^os ;  as 
the  Creator  and  conserver  of  the  universe ;  as  the  Redeemer  of 
jost  men ;  and  hence  as  their  Sovereign,  Lord  and  Master,  not 
only  by  right  of  creation,  but  also  by  right  of  redemption  ;  and 
also  as  the  future  judge  of  all  mankind.  See  John  1 :  1-3,  with 
14  v.;  Col.  1:  13-18;  2  Tim.  4 :  1;  Acts  17:  31;  1  Pet.  2:  9. 
To  deny  then,  in  word  or  deed,  that  our  Redeemer  is  Sovereign, 
is  an  error  that  "  drowns  men  in  destruction  and  perdition." 

T.  Smith  considers  kaordig  as  equivalent  to  "  one  another,"  as 
in  1  Pet.  4  :  8.  Thus  understood  the  sense  is :  They  bring  de- 
struction not  only  on  themselves,  but  also  on  their  disciples  and 
imitators.  Peter  calls  it  sunft  destruction,  because  "the  coming 
of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh."  Compare  Jas.  5  :  7-9 ;  2  Pet.  3 :  8, 
9.  The  destruction  of  false  teachers  would  soon  be  accomplished, 
as  to  their  souls  at  death,  and  as  to  both  soul  and  body  when 
Christ  appears  as  Judge.  Comp.  1  :  14.23:  9,  10.  The  refer- 
ence is  epecially  to  the  latter.  Bengel :  celerem,  ob  celcrem  ad- 
ventum  Domini.  It  will  be  but  a  short  time  before  our  Lord 
comes,  when  compared  with  the  long  starless  night  of  eternity 
in  which  teachers  of  known  falsehood  shall  grope  and  stumble 
and  rage  in  hell. 

V.  2.  And  many  sJiall  follmo  their  lascivious  doings^  by  rea- 
son of  whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be  evil  sjyoken  of  "  They 
who  perverted  the  grace  of  our  God  unto  lasciviousness,  and 
denied  our  only  Sovereign  and  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  (Jude,  4  v,,) 
were  Antinomian-Gnostics.  Jude  thus  records  the  speedy  ful- 
filment of  Peter's  prophecy,  as  well  as  shows  how  he  understood 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  2.  135 

it.  We  err  not  therefore  in  saying  that  Arians,  Socinians  or 
Unitarians,  and  TJniversalists,  in  whatever  part  of  the  visible 
church  they  exist,  deny  that  the  Redeemer  is  Sovereign.  And 
so  do  they  who  are  orthodox  in  lip  and  creed,  but  heterodox  in 
life.  "  Not  every  one  that  saith  to  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  etc.    Matt.  7:  21-23. 

The  correct  reading  is  aazXyttai^^  translated  in  the  margin  of 
the  English  Bible :  in  favor  of  it  are  A.  B.  C.  G.  K.  and  the 
Vulgate.  Literally,  their  lasciviousnes.ses  :  either  their  lascivious 
doings  or  teachings,  or  both.  '  Many  shall  imitate  their  profli- 
gate actions  by  believing  their  erroneous  doctrines.'  The  Anti- 
nomian  Gnostic,  in  the  ante  Nicene  age  of  the  church,  (compare 
Rev.  2:  14,  15,)  were  notorious  for  their  lasciviousness,  the 
proofs  of  which  may  be  found  in  the  histories  of  Gieseler,  Nean- 
der,  and  Schaff.  Uncleanness,  indeed,  is  a  striking  characteristic 
of  all  the  false  teachers  that  have  craftily  introduced  destructive 
heresies,  from  the  time  of  the  Gnostics  down  to  "  the  Latter- 
Day  Saints,"  or  Mormons.  And  yet  such  have  always  pretended 
to  be  saints  by  way  of  eminence,  and  scientific  theologians 
(which  the  Avord,  Gnostics  means,)  who  alone  understood  the 
way  of  truth !  (See  also  Whitby  and  Benson.)  The  Roman 
church,  too,  by  forbidding  her  clergy  to  marry,  has  certainly 
countenanced  lasciviousness. 

J3y reason  of  who7n,  OY,  or\  Avhose  account:  dt'uut;.  The  \cay 
of  the  truth,  literally :  the  scriptures  give  a  revelation  of  the 
true  metht>d  of  salvation ;  "  the  word  of  truth,  the  gospel  of 
your  salvation,"  as  Paul  expressess  it,  Eph.  1:13.  Here  the 
gospel  is  especially  intended,  the  grace  of  God  perverted  by 
them  to  lasciviousness.  The  profligacy  of  such  false  teachers 
and  their  followers,  assuming  the  Christian  name,  caused  the 
heathen  to  calumniate  the  true  gospel,  and  gave  occasion  to  the 
circulation  of  the  most  outrageous  stories  respecting  true  and 
false  disciples  of  Christ  indiscriminately  ;  the  evidences  of  which 
abound  in  the  pages   of  the   early  Christian   apologists,  Justin 


136  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  3. 

Martyr,  Tertiillian,  and  others.  The  shameless  licentiousness  of 
the  Papal  clergy,  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation  and  before,  is 
also  well  known,  on  whose  account  the  way  of  truth  has  been 
evil  spoken  of. 

V.  3.  And  in  consequence  of  covetousness,  etc.:  xal  iv  rcXeovB^ia. 
In  covetousness,  literally :  in  consequence  of  or  through  avarice, 
(See  on  1 :  4.)  WitJi  feigned  loords,  izXaazoi':  XMyoiq,  moulded 
words ;  words  put  in  the  mould  of  their  own  invention  and 
shaped  to  suit  their  purpose,  as  the  potter  makes  up  the  clay  to 
suit  his:  compare  Rom.  9  :  20  ;  1  Tim.  2  :  13.  The  words  meant 
then  are  feigned  or  fictitious,  self  contrived ;  drawn  from  their 
own  minds,  not  from  an  honest  investigation  and  explanation  of 
the  sci'iptures.  Now  the  loords  of  a  teacher  can  mean  only  his 
doctrines,  or  religious  instructions.  1  Cor.  1:18.  "For  the  word 
of  the  cross,"  the  doctrine  of  tlie  Atonement,  "  is  to  them  who 
are  perishing,  foolishness."  Eph.  5:6.  "  Let  no  one  deceive  you 
loith  vain  loords,  for  because  of  these  things  the  wrath  of  God 
is  coming  upon  the  children  of  disobedience."  2  Tim.  2  :  17. 
"  Their  word  will  eat  (or,  spread)  as  a  cancer ;  of  whom  are 
Hymeuffius  and  Philetus,  who  concerning  the  truth  have  erred, 
saying  that  the  Resurrection  is  already  past,"  etc.  Their  self- 
contrived  doctrines  are  like  counterfeit  bills  wherewith,  because 
of  covetousness,  they  trade  in  human  souls. 

With  feigned  words  shall  they  buy  and  sell  you:  op-dc;  iij-ope- 
offovrai.  So  the  verb  is  rendered.  Jas.  4  :  13.  It  means  to  travel 
about  as  a  merchant,  to  trade,  i.  e.,  buy  and  sell ;  and  this  is 
always  done  for  the  pecuniary  advantage  accruing.  Compare 
LXX.  and  Heb. ;  Gen.  34  :  10-21 ;  42  :  34 :  Ezek.  27  :  21.  The 
sense  then  is :  They,  because  of  covetousness,  will,  with  their 
self-contrived  doctrines,  get  all  the  money  out  of  you  they  can  ; 
buying  and  selling  you  like  a  bale  of  goods  for  their  own  profit. 
They  shall  teach  what  they  ought  not,  for  filthy  lucre's  sake. 
Tit.  1:  11. 

Against  lohom  the  judgment  long  since  [threatened]  comes  not 


CHAPTER  IL,  VER.  3.  137 

Ungcringlij^  and  their  destruction  [long  since  foretold]  slumbers 
not:  o1^  TO  -/.piim,  either  the  judgment  to  ^\\\on\  —  V1hose  judg- 
ment^ (Rom.  3:8,)  or,  against  vihom  the  judgment ;  but  either 
way  the  sense  is  the  same.  Judgment,  by  implication,  condem- 
nation, as  in  Rom.  3  :  8  ;  1  Tim.  3  :  G.  That  some  word  like 
threatened  or  denoxmced  must  be  supplied  is  clear  from  Jude, 
4  v.,  "Those  long  since  proscribed  to  this  judgment,"  /.  c,  the 
judgment  well  known  as  long  ago  foretold  by  the  prophets  to 
overtake  such  ungodly  men.  See  Deut.  32  :  35  :  Ps.  5  ;  37  :  9-13  ; 
This  judgment  llngereth  not,  ouy.  dpylt,  comes  not  as  an  idle  man 
(apyo^,  1 :  8,)  walks :  i.  e.,  their  condemnation  is  rapidly  ap- 
proaching. And  their  destruction,  that  is  the  destruction  long 
since  denounced  against  such  sinners  as  their  just  due  :  h.-aXat  is 
to  be  supplied  from  the  preceding  clause.  This  destruction 
slumbers  not,  ou  yoprdXst,  is  not  nodding  or  slumbering :  i.  e.,  it 
it  not  forgotten.  Their  punishment  is  not  only  swiftly  approach- 
ing, but  there  is  no  danger  of  its  ever  being  forgotten.  Or,  '  it  is 
both  near  and  certainly  to  be  executed.'     Compare  9  v.,  3:  7. 

To  be  in  a  state  of  slumber  is  to  be  in  a  state  of  forgetfulness, 
but  God's  justice  is  never  asleep.  Instead  of  their  punishment 
never  coming,  as  if  justice  did  not  demand  the  destruction  of 
the  incorrigible,  it  is  coming  swiftly :  instead  of  there  being  any 
doubt  about  the  infliction  of  the  penalty  announced  and  de- 
served, it  is  absolutely  certain.  Against  such  Antinomian- 
Universalists  Paul  denounces  the  same  judgment.  Eph.  5  :  3-7  ; 
Col.  3 :  5,  6.     (Compare  1  Pet.  4  :  17,  18.) 

The  apostle,  having  declared  in  general  that  false  teachers  shall 
infest  the  Christian  church,  even  as  false  prophets  did  the  Jewish ; 
and  in  particular  that  false  teachers  shall  arise  who  will  deny 
their  Redeemer  to  be  Sovereign,  or  their  Lord  as  God  in  flesh : 
he  thus  describes  them,  in  modern  language  as  Antitrinitarian 
Antinomians.  For  they  who  deny  their  Redeemer  to  be  Sover- 
eign and  Lord,  who  walk  lasciviously,  and  because  of  covetous- 
ness  trade  in  human  souls,  certainly  set  aside  his  authority  as  the 


138  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  3. 

Lord  of  the  churcli ;  they  pervert  the  gospel  of  God  to  the  vilest 
purposes.  He  describes  them,  at  the  same  time,  in  such  a  Avay 
as  to  indicate  unmistakably  that  they  would  deny  the  future  and 
everlasting  punishment  of  the  wicked  ;  in  modern  language,  as 
Universalists.  Why,  if  not  to  intimate  this  characteristic  tenet 
of  the  false  teachers,  does  he  say  that  their  sins  are  the  proxi- 
mate cause  of  their  destruction,  or  that  they  hring  it  on  them- 
selves f  Why  does  he  speak  of  their  destructive  heresies  ?  Of 
their  jud(/me7it  as  linger ing  not,  and  their  destruction  as  slumber- 
ing not  ?  What,  moreover,  is  the  apostle's  aim  in  j^roving  that 
punishment  shall  certainly  be  inflicted  on  such  unrighteous  men  ? 
All  this  unquestionably  jire-supposes,  that  the  false  teachers 
would  deny  the  reality  and  certainty  of  such  punishment. 

^For  if  God  spared  not  angels  that  sinned,  but  [bound]  with 
chains  of  darkness  hurled  them  into  hell,  and  delivered  them  up 
to  be  kept  for  judgment ;  ^and  spared  not  the  Old  World,  but 
guarded  Noah,  one  of  eight,  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  when 
he  brought  the  flood  on  an  ungodly  world ;  *and  when  he  burned 
to  ashes  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  by  the  overthrow  he 
condemned  them,  setting  them  forth  as  an  example  to  them  who 
shall  live  ungodly  ;  ''and  yet  he  rescued  righteous  Lot,  worn  out 
by  the  lascivious  behaviour  of  the  lawless :  "for  that  righteous 
one  while  dwelling  among  them,  by  seeing  and  hearing,  torment- 
ed his  righteous  soul  from  day  to  day  with  their  unlawful  deeds  ; 
[if  these  things  be  so,  then]  *the  Lord  knows  how  to  rescue  the 
godly  from  trial,  and  to  keep  the  unrighteous  for  the  day  of 
judgment  to  be  punished ;  "but  especially  those  who  walk  after 
the  flesh  in  filthy  lust,  and  despise  government. 

The  apostle  in  this  paragraph  is  showing  the  absolute  certainty 
of  the  punishment  of  false  teachers,  and  their  imitators,  at  the 
day  of  judgment;  or  when  Christ  comes  as  judge  of  the  wicked. 
And  the  historical  arguments  employed  in  this  context  are  laid 
on  an  immovable  foundation,  the  immutdbility  of  God ;  on  the 
clearly  i-evealed  truth  that  he  is  as  unchangeable  in  his  justice  as 
in  grace  or  mercy,  or  in  any  other  perfection  of  his  nature.  "  lie 
camiot  deny  himself''  (2  Tim.  2  :  13,)  that  is  he  cannot  act  un- 
like himself,  or  in  a  way  inconsistent  with  any  perfection  of  his 


CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  4.  139 

Godhead.  He  is  the  same  just  God  note,  and  icill  be  to  all  etcrmi- 
ty,  as  when  he  severely  punished  angels  that  sinned,  the  antedi- 
luvians, or  the  inhabitants  of  the  plain.  He  is  as  unchangeable 
in  his  knowledge  and  jiower  now  as  then,  (9  v ;)  no  sins  escape 
the  notice  of  his  omniscient  eye,  and  no  sinner  can  get  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  hand  of  the  Almighty.  It  follows  therefore,  that 
false  teachers  and  their  followers,  except  they  repent,  (3 :  9,)  can- 
not be  passed  by  unpunished. 

The  absolute  certainty  of  the  deliverance  of  the  pious  from  a 
state  of  trial  when  our  Lord  comes,  is  also  shown  in  this  para- 
graph. God's  kindness  to  the  godly  w'ill  be  the  same  at  the  day 
of  judgment  as  when  he  guarded  Noah  by  the  shield  of  his 
almighty  love,  and  made  the  ark  to  swim  unharmed  on  the  flood 
that  drowned  an  ungodly  world ;  it  will  be  the  same  on  that 
great  day  to  them  who  love  Christ  and  holiness  as  it  was  to  Lot — 
they  shall  have  certain  knoAvledge  of  the  signal  punishment  of 
the  ungodly,  but  escape  it  themselves ;  for  "God  in  Christ"  is  as 
unchangeable  in  his  grace  and  tender  mercy  as  in  his  justice. 

Y.  4.  For  if  God  spared  not  Angels  that  sinned,  etc.  The 
argumentative  particle /br  depends  on  the  latter  part  of  the  third 
verse.  'Their  judgment  lingers  not,  and  their  destruction  slum- 
bers not ;  for  if  God  spared  not,'  etc.  The  protasis  begins  here, 
the  apodosis,  at  the  ninth  verse :  '  If  God  spared  not  angels,  etc., 
then  {apa  implied  before  u\dz-J)  the  Lord  knows,'  etc.  Other 
modes  have  been  suggested  with  reference  to  the  apodosis,  but 
none  seems  so  accurate  as  the  one  here  given,  in  which  the  most 
eminent  expositors  agree. 

Peter  briefly  refers  to  the  fall  of  the  Angels  as  a  well  known 
fact,  clearly,  though  incidentally  taught  in  Holy  Scripture.  He 
says  nothing  of  the  time  when  they  sinned,  the  manner  in  which 
they  manifested,  their  transgression,  and  other  circumstances  at- 
tending it, —  because  these  things  would  have  had  but  an  indirect 
bearing  on  his  present  argument.  He  wishes  to  confine  our  at- 
tention directly  to  a  single  point,  viz. :  Angels  that  sinned  were 


140  CHAPTER  IL,   VER.  4. 

puuishetl,  and  that  in  a  signal  manner.  This  fact,  the  insepara- 
ble connection  between  sin  and  punishment,  bears  directly  on  his 
present  argument,  and  demonstrates  that  those  who  Avalk  in  the 
way  of  lewdness  and  avarice,  and  deny  their  jirofessed  Redeemer 
to  be  Lord  and  Master  Avill  be  punished  at  the  day  of  judgment, 
when  their  Sovereign  calls  them  to  account  for  their  vile  misdeeds. 
The  expression,  "Angels  that  sinned,"  implies  that  others  did 
not,  and  hence  ^ye  read  of  "the  elect  angels,"  1  Tim.  5,  21, 
"  faithful  found  among  the  faithless."  The  same  expression  also 
implies  that  they  were  originally  created  in  a  holy  state.  No 
other  supposition  can  stand  a  mpment  before  the  bar  of  right, 
reason  or  Scriptui-e;  for  "God  is  Light,  and  in  him  is  no  darkness 
at  all,"  1  John  1:  5;  i.  e.  God  is  perfectly  holy,  and  in  him  there 
is  no  sin  at  all.  It  is  absolutely  impossible  therefore  that  any 
sinful  suggestion  could  have  been  proposed  to  angelic  minds  by 
the  Holy  One ;  in  this  sense,  "  God  cannot  be  tempted  of  evil, 
neither  tempteth  he  any  one,"  whether  man  or  angel,  Isa.  1,  IS- 
IS. The  sinful  thoughts  and  deeds  of  angels,  then,  must  have 
originated  in  their  own  minds.  If  we  attempt  to  proceed  farther 
in  this  inquiry,  what  progress  can  Ave  make  ?  If  men  will  believe 
no  fact  xmless  they  can  at  the  same  time  miderstand  how  and 
why  it  is  so,  they  will  be  forced  to  put  but  one  article  in  their 
creed,  as  follows :  I  believe  in  —  Nothing.  The  revealed  fact  is, 
that  Angels  sinned.  If  any  ask.  How  can  such  a  foet  be  believed  ? 
we  answer,  If  you  receive  the  testimony  of  men,  the  testimony 
of  God  is  greater  ;  for  God  cannot  lie.  1  John  5:9;  Ileb.  6:18. 
If  you  farther  ask,  Why  did  God  permit  them  to  sin,  or  why  did 
he  not  pi'event  them  from  sinning  ?  the  best  answer  we  know  of  is : 
"  Even  so.  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight."  Let  us  in 
this  matter  be  contented  with  that  which  Calvin  denominates  "  a 
sort  of  learned  ignorance ;"  believing  the  fact  that  angels  sinned 
on  the  testimony  of  the  God  of  Truth,  and  at  the  same  time 
ingenuously  confessing  our  utter  ignorance  of  the  manner  of  the 
concej)tion  and  birth  of  sin  in  angelic  minds.     The  Origin  of 


CHArTER  II.,  VER.  4.  141 

Evil,  or  the  reason  why  llie  Alniiglity,  infinitely  wise  and  good, 
allowed  it  to  enter  the  minds  of  angels  or  men,  may  be  called  the 
only  difficulty  in  theology  ;  it  belongs,  however,  rather  to  natural 
theology  than  to  revealed :  it  is  a  question  which,  if  we  persist 
in  endeavoring  to.  investigate,  may  lead  us  to  madness  —  or  some- 
thing worse.  "  Who  art  thou,  O  man,  that  repliest  against  God?" 
It  is  a  question  that  should  be  left  alone,  because  it  is  moral  in- 
sanity for  us  to  dream  that  we  can  fathom  the  depths  of  God's 
mind,  or  discover  Avhat  he  has  not  revealed  in  his  word :  also  be- 
cause it  lies  far  out  of  the  grasp  of  the  human  understanding, 
and  the  attempts  to  explain  it,  from  Origen  to  Beecher,*  are  de- 
cided failures ;  attempts  on  waxen  wings  to  reach  the  sun. 

As  to  the  mode,  however,  in  which  the  angels  manifested  the 
fact  that  they  had  become  sinners,  Jude  gives  a  very  significant 
hint.  "Angels  that  kept  not  their  jDrincipality,  w/'/r^^-,  but  left 
their  own  habitation" — 6  v.  Their  own  habitation  or  dwelling- 
place,  TO  I'otou  oixTTJpur^,  means  the  world  allotted  and  adai)ted  to 
such  intelligences  as  they.  So  Avhen  Judas  Iscariot  is  said  to 
have  gone  to  his  own  place,  it  signifies  the  place  appointed  for 
and  suited  to  such  a  sinner  as  he,  Acts  1 :  25.  The  angels,  it 
seems  then,  became  dissatisfied  with  the  world  which  God,  in  his 
infinite  wisdom  and  goodness,  had  appointed  for  them  to  dwell 
in ;  a  world,  too,  adapted  to  give  exercise  and  delight  to  all  their 
faculties ;  and  hence  they  left  it,  without  divine  permission,  in  a 
sullen,  discontented  and  fault-finding  temper  of  mind ;  as  if  they 
could  select  a  better  home  for  themselves  than  the  only  wise  God. 
Besides,  "they  kept  not  thah- 2)i'incipality,^^f  they  did  not  watch 


*  "  The  conflict  of  ages  "  will  continue  —  until  men,  tented  in  claj',  find  a  line 
and  plummet  long  enough  to  a.scertain  the  depth  of  that  ocean  which  is  bound- 
less and  fathomless.  "  Who,  by  searching,  can  find  out  God  ?"  And  whether 
the  origin  of  evil  will  be  explained  when  Christ  comes,  or  whether  any  intelli- 
gent creature  could  comprehend  it,  if  set  forth  in  any  language  —  is  doubtful. 

■{•See  how  the  word  is  used,  Rom.  8  :  38 ;  Eph.  1:  21;  3:  10;  C:  12;  Col. 
1 :  IG  ;  2  :  10,  15  :  Tit.  3  : 1.  The  marginal  translation  of  Jude,  G  v.  is  therefore 
correct. 


142  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  4. 

over  the  Avorlcl  where  they  had  been  appointed  princes  or  rulers  ; 
they  disregarded  the  divine  injunctions  to  teach  and  govern  its 
inhabitants;  in  insane  envy,  they  threw  up  their  commission. 
By  thus  abandoning  their  official  station  and  dwelling-place  they 
demonstrated  that  they  had  sinned  ;  they  thus  proved  that  they 
had  "  that  vaulting  ambition  which  overleaps  itself,"  1  Tim.  3:0; 
and  plunges  its  possessor  into  hell. 

Many  theologians  have  assumed  that  the  habitation  of  the 
angels  before  and  up  to  the  time  when  they  sinned,  was  what  is 
commonly  called  Heaven ;  and  they  so  teach  their  hearers,  or 
readers.  This  opinion  may  be  found  in  Milton's  Paradise  Lost, 
but  there  is  not,  so  far  as  we  are  aware,  a  single  passage  of  Holy 
Scripture  to  favor  such  an  assumption.  All  that  the  Lord  has 
been  pleased  to  reveal  is,  that  it  was  a  dwelling-place  or  world 
destined  for  and  adapted  to  angels,  and  that  they  voluntarily 
abandoned  it,  and  the  government  of  it  Avith  Avhich  they  were 
invested;  but  what  particular  part  or  world  of  the  celestial 
dwelling-places  it  was,  is  not  revealed. 

God  spared  not  angels  who  sinned ;  or  he  severely  punished 
them.  As  the  judge  of  all,  he  took  the  rod  of  his  justice  in  his 
hand,  and,  in  using  it,  spared  them  not.  Rom.  8:  32;  Gen.  18: 
24;  Dent.  13:  8  and  29:  20;  Ezek.  5:  11.  The  metaphorical 
expression  denotes  that  he  treated  them  as  their  sin  deserved, 
manifesting  towards  them  justice  unmingled  with  mercy.  Com- 
pare Jas.  4:  12  and  2  :  13.  But  lolth  chains  of  darJctiess  hurled 
them  into  hell,  i.  e.  bound  with  chains  of  darkness.  There  is  a 
metaphor  in  the  expression,  and  the  sense  is :  they  are  like  crimi- 
nals, but  the  chains  wherewith  they  were  bound  are  their  own 
sinful  temper  and  habits,  with  which  misery  is  ever  united.  Prov. 
5:  21.  "His  own  iniquities  shall  take  (or  ensnare)  the  sinner 
himself,  and  with  the  cords  of  his  sin  shall  be  holden,"  (or,  held 
fast)  i.  e.  his  own  sinful  disposition  and  habits  shall  be  the  means 
of  his  punishment.  DarJaiess  is  often  iised  in  scripture  to  denote 
sin,  with  its  inseparable  companion,  misery.     "  If  we  say  that  we 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  4.  143 

liavc  communion  with  Him,  and  yet  ^oalk  in  darJoiess,  "we  lie," 
or  deceive  ourselves :  i.  e.  such  profession  means  nothing,  if  we 
still  habitually  commit  sin.  1  John  1 :  6.  There  is  no  darkness 
at  all  in  God.  1  John  1:5;  that  is,  no  shi  and  no  sadness. 
Compare  1  Pet.  2:  9.  "Out  of  darkness  into  his  Avonderful 
light ;"  out  of  a  state  of  sin  and  misery  into  a  state  of  holiness 
and  blessedness  like  that  of  God,  (2  Pet.  1  :  4.)  See  also  Rom. 
13:  12;  Acts  26:  18.  Chains  or  cords  of  darkness  here,  and 
cords  of  sin,  (Prov.  5  :  21,)  are  identical  in  signification.  Hurled 
(or,  cast)  them  into  hell ;  with  his  almighty  arm,  guided  by 
justice,  he  flung  them  into  hell:  the  participle  used  is  found  only 
here,  zaL-capioaaq.  "  Having  hurled  them  into  hell,  he  delivered," 
etc. :  which  in  our  idiom  is  the  same  as,  He  hurled  them  into  hell 
and  delivered,  etc.  Thus  1  Peter  3:  19;  "Having  gone,  he 
preached,"  he  went  and  preached.  The  verb  rauTapvd^^r^pi-rzv^ 
elq  zdurapuy^  hurl  into  Tartarus  or  hell.  Iliad  8  :  13  sq.  and  8:477 
sq.  In  later  Greek  usage  Tartarus  means  the  place  of  punish- 
ment, or  hell. 

In  Luke  8:  31,  and  Rev.  29:  3,  the  place  of  punishment  is 
called  the  abyss,  the  bottomless  deep,  rather  than  jjit :  a  fathom- 
less ocean,  in  which  they  are  ever  drowning,  but  never  die.  "  O, 
how  unlike  the  jilace  from  Avhence  they  fell !  " 

Homer  represents  Tartarus  as  a  doleful  prison  or  dungeon, 
from  which  there  is  no  escape,  and  in  which  there  is  no  joy ;  the 
light  of  the  sun  and  cooling  breezes  being  excluded.  And  our 
apostle,  by  declaring  that  the  angels  who  sinned  were  cast  into 
tartarus,  evidently  means  that  they  were  punished  by  being  put 
into  a  doleful  dungeon,  or  hurled  from  their  former  dwelling 
place  into  hell. 

And  delivered  them  \tp  to  be  kept  for  judgment.  God  as  judge 
gave  them  over  to  the  proper  officers,  to  be  kept,  reserved  or  se- 
cured, for  trial  and  condemnation,  when  Christ  comes,  (9  v.,  Jude, 
6  v.)  The  apostle  speaks  of  them  as  infamous  criminals,  put  in 
prison,  and  kept  there  for  future  trial  and  punishment.     While 


144  CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  4. 

thus  imprisoned  in  tartarus,  bound  with  the  cords  of  sin,  the 
recollection  of  past  offences,  and  the  fearful  looking  for  of  the 
judgment  to  come,  make  their  passions  rage,  thus  producing 
present  and  constant  torment :  remorse  and  despair  ever  dwell- 
ing within  them.  But  this  punishment  will  be  augmented  Avhen 
Christ  shall  confine  them  all  in  hell  forever.  9-17  vs. ;  Jude, 
6  v;  Matt.  25:  41  ;  Rev.  20:  10.  (The  common  version,  "de- 
livered them  into  chains  of  darkness"  is  incorrect.)  The  sense 
accordingly  is :  God  manifested  his  strict  justice  on  angels  that 
sinned,  seizing  them  in  their  sins,  and  bound  with  the  cords  of 
their  sinful  temper  and  habits,  hurled  them  from  their  former 
dwelling-place  in  this  unholy  and  miserable  condition  into  hell. 
If  he  thus  dealt  with  them,  how  can  false  teachers,  and  their 
imitators,  escape  the  judgment  of  God  ? 

The  reading  atipai':  is  supported  by  G.  K.  Vulgate,  and  Syriac 
version;  aeipoiq,  by  A.  B.  C.  But  (Teipotqz^ffipo:^,  means  pits  to 
keep  grain  in,  and  no  one  of  good  taste  can  suppose  that  the 
apostle  employed  it.  The  former  reading  is,  in  our  judgment, 
alone  genuine ;  and  it  is  edited  by  Bengel,  Griesbach,  Bloomfield, 
and  Tischendorf.  It  is  moreover  confirmed  by  deffij-uiq.   Jude,  6  v. 

Where  tartarus,  hell,  or  the  abyss,  is,  is  not  revealed  in  scrip- 
ture. Some  have  childishly  imagined  it  to  be  in  the  dark  and 
cloudy  atmosphere ;  others  deep  down  in  the  earth  ;  but  since 
these  are  pure  conjectures,  built  on  no  solid  foundation,  we  may 
fling  them  aside  as  worthless,  and  be  admonished  that  tliere  is 
such  a  place,  and  that  both  angels  that  sinned  and  the  finally  im- 
penitent shall  inhabit  it.     Matt.  25  :  41. 

Demons  wandered  about  the  earth,  when  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  appeared  in  Judea ;  and  hence  some  have  inferred  that 
the  angels  who  sinned  could  not  then  have  been  in  that  place  of 
punishment  where  they  shall  everlastingly  be  confined,  after  the 
judgment  of  the  great  day.  But  if  Luke  (8:  31,)  be  carefully 
examined,  that  opinion  must  be  given  up.  "  And  he  besought 
him  that  he  would  not  command  thenC  (the  many  demons,  30  v.,) 


CHAPTER  II.,  TER.  5.  I45 

"  to  f)0  off  into  the  abyss.''''  The  clemons  feared  that  Christ 
would  command  them  to  go  oft*  from  earth  into  tartarus,  their 
proper  prison ;  they  begged  therefore,  for  a  longer  reprieve,  or 
that  they  might  still  be  permitted  to  stay  on  earth.  All  this 
implies  that  they  knew  full  well,  they  could  not  be  j^risoners 
at  large  Avithout  his  jiermission ;  it  also  implies  that  others  of 
their  number  were  then,  and  are  now,  in  hell. 

V.  5.  And  spared  not  the  Old  Worlds  the  world  before  the 
flood  ;  world,  by  metonomy  for  its  inhabitants.  All  the  antedi- 
luvians, eight  alone  excepted,  are  thus  designated  :  and  they  are 
also  described  as  an  ungodly  xoorld.  They  were,  probably,  idol- 
aters, inasmuch  as  Moses  says,  "  The  earth,  was  corrupt  before 
God,"  Gen.  6:11,  with  Ex.  32 :  7,  8  ;  Deut.  32 :  5  ;  Judges  2 :  19. 
(See  Ains worth  and  Bush  on  Gen.  4  :  26,  and  6 :  11.)  The  earth 
also  Avas  filled  with  violence,  (Gen.  6 :  11,)  with  violent  Avrong,  or 
violent  men.  Lasciviousness  was  likewise  a  prevailing  sin.  Gen. 
6  :  1,  2.  This  example  of  God's  retributive  justice  is  very  perti- 
nent to  our  apostle's  purpose,  falling  with  a  crushing  Aveight  on 
them  Avho  by  words  or  deeds  deny  their  Redeemer  to  be  their 
Sovereign,  and  who  teach  or  practice  lewdness.  God  brought 
the  flood  on  an  ungodly  xoorld ;  the  number  of  the  transgressors 
did  not  prevent  him  from  severely  punishing  them,  and  hence 
the  multitudes  that  follow  false  teachers  must  not  expect  exemp- 
tion from  punishment.  But  guarded  N'oah^  i<pvla^£^  flung  over 
him  the  shield  of  his  Almighty  love,  safely  secured  him  and  his, 
in  the  ark.  Gen.  V  :  16.  (Comp.  1  Pet.  3  :  20.)  One  of  eight, 
vySooVj  he  and  seven  others.  Odys.  9 :  335.  iyui  -in-zo-,  I  and 
four  others.  A  preacher  of  righteousness:  wliile  Noah  Avas 
building  the  ark,  he  had  many  opportunities  to  remind  the  old 
Avorld  of  that  which  Avas  right  for  them  to  do  in  consequence  of 
their  relations  and  obligations  to  the  Most  High :  also  of  that 
Avhich  Avas  right  for  God  to  do,  provided  they  continued  in  open 
rebellion  against  him.    "  Xoah,"  says  Calvin,  "  Avas  a  preacher  of 

righteousness,  because  he  endeavored  to  restore  to  a  sound  mind 
10 


146  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  6. 

an  exceedingly  wicked  world ;  and  this  he  did,  not  only  by  teach- 
ing and  holy  exhortations,  but  by  toiling  anxiously  for  a 
hundred  and  twenty  years  in  building  the  ark.  MoreoA'er  it  is 
the  apostle's  design  to  put  before  our  eyes  God's  wrath  against 
the  reprobrate  in  such  a  manner  as  to  exhort  us  to  the  imitation 
of  the  holy."  For  God  saved  Noah,  when  he  brought  the  flood 
on  an  ungodly  world  ;  he  saved  the  righteous  and  destroyed  the 
wicked  at  the  same  time,  manifesting  both  his  tender  mercy  and 
justice.  And  when  our  Lord  comes  as  judge,  God  will  not  have 
lost  his  immutability.  (The  aor.  part,  i-d^a':;^  denotes  the  sud- 
denness of  the  act ;  '  when  he  suddenly  brought,'  etc. :  compare 
Luke  17:  27-29.) 

V.  6.  And  xohen  he  burned  to  ashes  the  cities  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  :  when  he  suddenly  or  unexpectedly  did  it,  rBtppdaac;. 
The  "  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  "  are  used,  by  Synecdoche, 
to  include  the  rest,  Admah  and  Zeboim.  There  is  also  a  meto- 
nomy ;  for  the  cities  were  not  only  destroyed  but  also  their  in- 
habitants, Gen.  19:  24,  25;  Dent  29:  23  ;  Jude,  7  v.  By  the 
overthrow  he  condemned  them.  "  Like  the  overthrow  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  Admah,  and  Zeboim,  which  the  Lord  overthrew 
in  his  anger  and  in  his  wrath,"  Dent.  29  :  23.  God  is  angry  at 
sinners,  not  at  wood  and  brick  ;  and  he  condemned  or  punished 
the  inhabitants  for  their  abominable  iniquity :  and  he  did  it  by  a 
signal  overthrow^  the  manner  of  their  death  being  indicative  of 
his  wrath,  or  calm  and  holy  determination  to  punish  the  incor- 
rigible. By  the  overthrow  of  the  cities,  God  as  judge  doomed 
to  hell  their  inhabitants.  So  the  same  verb,  condemn,  is  used, 
(Mark  16:  16,)  "He  that  believeth  not  shall  be  condemned,"  the 
opposite  of  "  shall  be  saved."  And  so  did  Jude  understand  it ; 
for  he  says  they  are  suffering  the  punishment  of  everlasting  fire. 
(Comp.  Matt.  25  :  41,  46  ;  2  Thess.  1  :  9.)  Setting  them  forth  as 
an  example  to  tliem  who  shall  live  ungodly :  exhibiting  them 
in  his  word  as  a  pattern,  sign  or  symbol,  of  his  retributive  jus- 
tice, and  as  a  warning  of  the  destruction  which  shall  overtake  all 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  1.  147 

future  despisers  of  God  as  Lord.  See  Deut.  29:  23;  Ps.  11  :  5, 
6  ;  Rev.  14  :  10  ;  19 :  20  ;  21  :  8.  (In  the  last  passage  the  symbol 
is  explained  as  "  the  second  death,"  or  future  punishment  of 
an  awful  kind.)  The  i:)hrase  b-odziyiia  TtOsud}-z=7:p6/.ttvrat.  dliyiia, 
Jude,  7  V. 

The  plain  in  which  these  cities  were  built  was,  in  fertility  and 
beauty  of  scenery,  as  the  garden  of  the  Lord;  Gen.  13  :  10.  But 
though  the  comitry  was  like  Eden,  yet  the  men  of  Sodom,  and 
the  other  cities,  were  wicked,  and  sinners  before  tlie  Lord  ex- 
ceedingly, Gen.  13:  13;  Jude,  7  v.  Moses  describes  them  as 
utterly  regardless  of  good  order,  shameless  and  lawless ;  and 
as  given  in  mass  to  the  most  abominable  and  unnatural  licentious- 
ness, Gen.  19.     Compare Ezek.  16:  49:  50. 

V.  7.  And  yet  lie  rescued  righteous  Lot,  worn  out  by  the  las- 
civious behaviour  of  the  lawless :  xai^andyet:  it  was  no  blind 
indiscriminate  wrath ;  it  did  not  destroy  the  righteous  with  the 
wicked  ;  Gen.  18 :  23,  etc.  Compare  the  use  of  za;',  Mark  7:28; 
1  Cor.  5:  11.  Worn  out^  etc.:  the  participle  signifies  strictly 
worn  out  by  labor,  and  hence,  metaphorically,  sick  at  heart, 
utterly  discouraged  and  disgusted,  as  in  Acts  7  :  24.  It  also 
assigns  or  gives  the  reason  why  Peter  calls  Lot  righteous.  The 
best  version  therefore  is :  "  He  reserved  righteous  Lot,  since  he 
was  worn  out,"  etc.  By  the  lascivious  behaviour  of  the  laio- 
less,  or,  oppressed  under  the  behaviour  of  the  lawless  consist- 
ing in  lasciviousness.  He  who  is  heart-broken  because  of  the 
manifestation  of  sinful  proj^ensities  in  others,  shows  that  he  does 
not  like  sin  himself,  Ps.  119:  136.  If  Lot  had  taken  pleasure  in 
witnessing  the  outbreakings  of  their  depravity,  he  Avould  not 
have  been  righteous,  but  a  vile  sinner  deserving  the  same  punish- 
ment as  the  rest,  Rom.  1 :  32.  The  true  character  of  a  man  is  to 
be  determined,  not  by  rare  or  occasional  acts  at  variance  with 
his  general  course  of  living,  but  by  his  uniform  temper  and  do- 
ings ;  otherwise,  neither  Lot  nor  Sarah  could  have  been  called 
righteous  or  holy,  1  Pet.  3:  5, 6.  The  verb  ipbaaro,  he  snatched  away, 


148  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  8. 

or  rescued,  delivered  from  the  impending  ruin  with  the  gentle 
violence  of  love,  (Gen.  19:  16,)  is  elegantly  put  at  the  end  of 
the  sentence,  in  order  to  fasten  the  attention  especially  on  Lot's 
merciful  deliverance.  "And  yet  righteous  Lot,  since  he  was 
worn  out  by  the  lascivious  behaviour  of  these  lawless  persons, 
he  snatched  away."  So  also  in  the  following  verse.  The  same 
rhetorical  arrangement,  or  lucidus  ordo,  is  found  in  the  first 
epistle,  1  Pet.  21:  15.  (That  the  flow  of  thought  in  this  chap- 
ter is  decidedly  Petrine,  is  evident  from  1  Pet.  4 :  1-5  ;  for  this 
chapter  is  only  an  expansion,  so  to  speak,  of  that  passage.) 

V.  8,  For  that  righteous  one  dicelling  among  onen.^  by  seeing 
and  hearing^  tormented  his  righteous  soidfrom  day  to  day  with 
their  unlawful  deeds.  This  is  added  to  illustrate  more  fully  his 
sickness  of  heart,  while  he  dwelt  among  them,  the  only  healthy 
person  among  a  plague-stricken  mob.  Heart-broken  indeed  he 
was,  for,  while  living  among  them  and  witnessing  the  manifesta- 
tions of  their  monstrous  profligacy,  he  put  his  happiness  thereby 
daily  on  the  rack.  His  mental  anguish  was  j)roduced  by  seeing 
^^'hat  they  did,  and  hearing  what  their  unclean  lips  uttered,  and 
these  words,  in  the  original,  are  put  in  the  front  of  the  sentence 
to  fix  attention  on  the  manner  in  which  his  peace  of  mind  w%as 
constantly  distui'bed ;  but  the  verb  tormented  at  the  end,  to  show 
that  his  was  no  common  distress,  but  such  only  as  the  righteous 
suffer  in  similar  circumstances. 

V.  9,  10,  [If  these  things  be  so,  then]  the  Lord  knows  how  to 
rescue  the  godly  from  trial,  and  to  keep  the  unrighteous  for  the 
day  of  judgment  to  he  punished ;  hut  especially  those  loho  walk 
after  the  flesh  in  fiUhy  lust,  and  despise  government.  Here,  as 
before  stated,  aj)odosis  begins.  Before  o}dzv,  Spa  or  apa  oo'>  is  im- 
plied, Rom.  5:  18.  After  zl  in  a  conditional  clause,  apa  begins 
the  apodosis,  Matt.  12  :  28  ;  1  Cor.  15  :  16-18  ;  Gal.  2 :  21.  Peter 
omits  the  sign  of  the  apodosis  here  and  in  20  v.,  as  is  quite  natu- 
ral to  such  a  fervent  spirit,  borne  onward  by  the  strength  of  his 
emotions.     "For  if  God  spared  not  angels  who  sinned,  etc.,  then 


CHAPTER  IT,  VER.  9,  10.  149 

the  Lord  knows,"  etc.  For  tins  is  rendered  more  perspicuous  to 
the  mere  English  reader  by  supplying  as  above.  The  verb  to 
know,  in  connection  with  the  infinitive,  implies  also  both  ability 
and  willingness.  "The  Lord  has  all  the  knowledge  and  j^ower 
requisite  to  deliver  them,  and  is  unchangeably  determined  to  do 
so."  Compare  Matt.  7:11.  "If  ye  then  know  how  to  give  good 
gifts,"  etc.,  i.  e.,  If  ye  know  their  wants,  have  power  or  resources 
to  supply  them,  and  a  heart  disposed  so  to  do.  1  Tim.  3:5; 
Phil.  4:  12. 

To  rescue  the  godly  from  trial  or  snatch  them  away  from  it,  is 
to  deliver  them  from  a  state  of  trial  in  which  their  fidelity  to  the 
Lord,  their  faith  and  patience,  arc  put  to  the  proof,  or  tested 
like  gold  in  the  fire.  1  Pet,  1 :  7.  While  dwelling  among  the 
wicked,  "as  lambs  in  the  midst  of  wolves,"  the  pious  Jiave  abun- 
dant opportunities  to  manifest  their  love  of  truth  and  holiness, 
and  their  hatred  of  destructive  heresies  and  sins.  When  false 
teachers  arise  among  them,  and  the  love  of  many  waxes  cold ; 
when  many  put  on  the  form  of  piety,  but  are  strangers  to  its 
power  ;  "  the  Lord  trieth  the  righteous  "  to  make  it  unquestiona- 
ble, that  they  truly  love  Him,  and  esteem  His  word  above  all ; 
Deut.  13 :  3  ;  2  Pet.  2  :  1  with  9  v. ;  1  Cor.  11:19;  1  Pet.  1 :  6,  7 ; 
4:  12.  But  this  state  of  trial  is  to  last  only  till  "the  day  of 
judgment;"  till  Christ  comes  as  Judge  and  separates  the  one 
from  the  other.     Matt.  13  :  40-43. 

To  heep  the  ^inrighteous  for  the  day  of  judgment  to  he  pun- 
ished^ means  to  watch  over  or  secure  them,  reserve  them  to  be 
punished  at  the  day  of  judgment:  comp.  1  Pet.  1 :  4  ;  2  Pet.  2 :  4. 
They  are  reserved  for  that  Great  Day ;  that  is  the  epoch  in  which 
the  Lord  has  determined  that  they  shall  be  judged  and  punished 
more  severely  than  when  in  the  separate  or  disembodied  state. 
Matt.  25 :  41,  4G ;  2  Thess.  1  :  7-10.  It  is  Christ's  day  in  which 
he  shall  come  again  to  earth  and  appear  in  his  glory,  attended  by 
all  his  holy  angels,  and  sit  down  on  his  glorious  throne.  Matt. 
25:  31;  the  day  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from 


150  CHAPTER  IT.,  VER.  9,  10. 

heaven  with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  giving  retribution 
to  them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  who  shall  suffer  punishment,  everlasting  destruc- 
tion from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his 
power ;  when  he  shall  come  to  be  glorified  in  his  saints,  etc.,  in 
that  day."  2  Thess.  1  :  7-10.  "The  Father  jndgeth  no  one,  but 
hath  committed  all  judgment  to  the  Son."  John  5:22;  Acts  17  : 
31  ;  1  Cor.  4 :  5,  And  this  appears  to  be  the  reason  Avhy  the  apostle 
uses  "  Lord,"  and  not  "  God,"  as  in  the  4  v.  "  God,  in  the  person 
of  our  Lord,  is  able  and  willing  to  deliver  the  godly  from  a  state 
of  trial,  and  to  confine  safely  the  wicked  to  be  punished  at  the 
day  of  judgment."  Ei-:  ijidpa-^  xpiaewq—xx^  to  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, Avhen  it  has  come,  or,  for  that  time:  comp.  1  Pet.  1 :  11  ;  2 
Pet.  3  :  7  ;  J  Thess.  4  :  15,  Our  apostle  also  alludes  to  what  he 
said  before  of  the  false  teachers  and  their  followers;  "Denying 
that  their  Redeemer  is  Sovereign."  "Such  a  denial  is  vain,  as 
they  will  discover  when  he  as  Lord  and  Judge  comes  to  punish 
them  and  others  of  like  character." 

JBut  especially  these,  etc.;  here  the  apodosis  ends.  The  sense 
is.  But  the  Lord  knows  how  to  keep  for  the  day  of  judgment,  to 
be  punished  in  an  especial  manner,  the  leaders  and  guides  who 
entice  others,  by  Avord  and  deed,  to  imitate  their  abominable 
actions.  He  brands  them,  says  Calvin,  with  two  marks,  filthy 
lust  and  contempt  of  government.  To  walk  after  the  flesh  in 
filthy  lust,  is  habitually  to  indulge  the  bodily  appetites  in  all 
sorts  of  lewdness,  as  fornication,  adultery,  and  unnatural  sensual 
practices.  Compare  Jude  7  v.;  1  Cor.  6  :  9,  10 ;  Rom.  1 :  27,  32. 
To  despise  government,  is  to  speak  contemptuously  of  it  to  en- 
deavor to  overthrow  legal  and  judicial  authority ;  and,  when  that 
can  not  be  done  by  the  lawless,  to  use  shameful  efforts  to  lessen 
in  men's  minds  reverence  for  law,  and  for  them  Avho  are  appoint- 
ed to  execute  it.  Such  men,  in  the  nineteenth  century,  are  like 
moral  descendants  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Plain.  Filthy  lust 
and  contempt  of  government  are  still  their  characteristic  features. 


CHAPTER  ir.,  VER.  10.  151 

(Gen.  19:  9.)  Xot  only  the  family,  and  the  church,  but  ^//e  State 
also  is  of  divine  institution.,  Rom.  13  :  l-V  ;  1  Pet.  2  :  13-16  ;  and 
for  men  to  treat  civil  government  with  contempt,  because  they 
wish  to  gratify  to  the  full  their  vile,  shameless,  and  filthy  appe- 
tites, is  to  ojipose  God  himself,  in  the  present  government  of  this 
world ;  it  evinces,  moreover,  such  a  love  of  sin  as  deserves  ex- 
treme punishment,  and  which  the  apostle  here  predicts  shall  be 
certainly  executed. 

'"I'ool-hardy,  self-willed  men  !  they  are  not  afraid  to  speak  evil 
of  dignities:  "whereas  angels,  who  are  greater  in  strength  and 
power,  bring  not  against  them  an  evil-spoken  judgment,  when 
standing  before  the  Lord.  "But  these,  as  irrational  sensual  ani- 
mals, which  are  made  to  be  taken  and  destroyed,  speak  evil  of 
things  they  do  not  understand,  and,  in  consequence  of  their  cor- 
ruption, shall  be  destroyed,  "receiving  the  wages  of  unrighteous- 
ness; inasmuch  as  they  think  that  luxury  in  day -light  is  pleasure: 
spots  and  blemishes !  living  luxuriously,  while  in  consequence  of 
their  deceits  they  feast  with  you ;  "since  they  have  eyes  tilled 
W' ith  an  adulteress,  and  that  ceases  not  from  sin,  insnaring  unes- 
tablished  souls  ;  since  they  haA'e  a  heart  trained  in  covetousness  — 
children  of  curse !  "because  they  have  forsaken  the  right  way, 
w^andered,  and  followed  the  way  of  Balaam,  the  son  of  Bosor, 
who  loved  the  wages  of  unrighteousness ;  "'but  he  had  a  refuta- 
tion of  his  transgression,  when  the  dumb  ass  spoke  in  a  voice  like 
men,  and  restrained  the  prophet's  madness. 

V.  10.  Fool-hardy  ToXinjTai=darers,  over-bold  men,  who  show 
what  they  call  their  courage  at  the  expense  of  good  sense  and  de- 
cency ;  A^enturesome  2:)ersons  who  bridle  not  their  tongues  even 
when  the  prison  and  gallows  are  in  sight.  Self-ioilled  men, 
auOddac:,  self-j^leasinff,  or  self-conceited ;  hence  self-willed  or  ob- 
stinate, regardless  of  the  rights  or  feelings  of  others,  those  of  the 
highest  earthly  dignity  not  excepted ;  nay,  they  delight  to  spurt 
their  filth  all  around  the  pillars  of  the  state.  Stat  eorum  Voluntas 
pro  Ratione  et  Lege  et  Scriptura.  They  will  have  their  way  and 
their  say,  notwithstanding  reason  and  law  and  Holy  Scripture 
alike  forbid  it  —  mulish  heroes  ! 

With  these  words  the  apostle  begins  his  more  particidar  de- 
scription of  the  false  teachers,   which  is  continued  to  the  first 


152  CHAPTER  IL,  VER.  10. 

clause  of  the  seventeentli  verse  inclusive ;  Avhile,  as  he  proceeds 
with  the  description,  he  repeats  the  certainty  of  their  future  pun- 
ishment, and  shows  or  illustrates  how  richly  deserved  or  Just  such 
punishment  will  be. 

T/iey  are  not  afraid  to  speaTc  of  dignities :  literally,  "  they 
tremble  not  speaking  evil  of  glories,"  i.  e.  they  tremble  not  in  so 
doing,  or  they  are  not  afraid  to  revile  them.  Ao^a-:,  glories,  ex- 
cellencies, honors  or  dignities :  the  same  word  is  used  in  the  plural 
also  in  1  Pot.  1:  11:  "the  glories  after  these  sufferings,"  his 
honors  subsequent  to  his  passion,  as  the  head  of  all  principality  and 
power,  1  Pet.  3  :  22.  Flere  the  same  word  is  used  by  metonomy 
for  men  in  places  of  honor ;  "  honors "  for  honorable  men,  or 
magistrates.*  This  mode  of  interpretation  agrees  well  with  what 
precedes :  "  They  despise  Government,  these  self-willed  heroes ! 
You  cannot  discern  any  trembling  of  their  nerves  when  employed 
in  their  ordinary  occupation,  reviling  persons  invested  with 
lionor ;  or  those  appointed  to  uphold  the  state  and  enforce  its 
laws."     Compare  Jude,  8  v. 

Calvin :  "After  the  apostle  had  said,  they  despise  government, 
he  indicates  the  source  of  the  evil,  viz :  because  they  are  fool- 
hardy and  self-icilled.  Lastly,  in  order  to  heighten  the  more  their 
haughtiness,  he  says,  They  tremble  not  when  they  .speak  evil  of 
glories.  For  it  is  a  mark  of  wonderful  arrogance  to  count  as 
nothing  worth,  that  glory  which  shines  brightly  in  the  orders  ap- 
pointed by  God.  For  it  is  beyond  doubt  that  he  designates  by 
this  name,  the  military  and  civil  authorities,  or  magistrates  su- 
preme and  subordinate,  (imperia  et  magistratus  designet.)  For 
although  there  is  no  honest  kind  of  life  but  what  is  praise-worthy, 
still  we  know  that  the  function  of  magistrates  is  the  most  emi- 
nent, because  they  are  God's  vicegerants  in  governing  mankind." 

The  fanatical  Anabaptists  of  the  sixteenth  century  were  pre- 
cisely such  men  as  the  apostle  here  describes ;  and  the  Papal 

*  When  an  advocate  in  onr  courts  begins  his  address  to  the  presiding  Judge, 
he  commonly  says  :  "  May  it  please  your  Honor." 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  11.  153 

cliurch  has  always  despised  government  and  spoken  evil  of  dig- 
nities, cxcej^t  when  she  could  mould  them  as  clay  to  suit  her  own 
ambitious  schemes. 

V.  11.'  Whereas,  angels,  who  are  greater  in  strenfjth  and  po%cer, 
bring  not  against  them  an  evil-spoken  judgment,  when  standing 
before  the  Lord.  Peter's  aim,  in  these  words,  is  to  expose  the 
moral  ugliness  of  their  effrontery ;  and  this  he  does  by  contrast- 
ing their  ribald  speeches  against  magistrates  with  the  calm, 
truthful  and  respectful  demeanor  of  the  holy  angels  in  similar 
circumstances.  Whereas  o-oo,  icJiere,  equivalent  either  to  since, 
1  Cor.  3:3;  or  to  in  which  condition  or  circumstances.  Col.  3  : 
11.  "  Where  Xhei'Q  is  neither  Jew  nor  Gentile,"  etc.:  i.e.,  in  which 
condition  (the  condition  of  men  as  renewed,  Col.  3  :  10,)  there 
are  no  national  distinctions.  Heb.  9:  16,  "For  ?M€re  a  testament 
(or  covenant)  is,"  etc.,  i.  e.  on  that  condition,  or  in  such  circum- 
stances. 'These  self-willed  heroes  despise  dominion,  and  revile 
dignities  ;  angels,  however,  when  in  like  circumstances,  act  very 
differently.'  Who  are  greater  in  strength  and  power :  Asteismus 
gravis,  majoi'es  homunculis,  says  Bengel.  "  Bless  Jehovah,  ye 
his  angels,  mighty  ones  of  strength  (=powerful  heroes,)  that  do 
his  command,"  etc.,  Ps.  103:  20.  These  fool-hardy  and  self- 
willed  men,  who  think  that  they  manifest  their  courage  by  revil- 
ing dignities,  are  very  much  mistaken  ;  for  angels  in  like  circum- 
stances act  very  differently,  and  they  are  heroes  indeed,  dis- 
playing moral  boldness  in  obeying  God  well  worthy  of  human 
imitation.  They  are  indeed  far  superior  to  the  most  eloquent 
false  teachers  and  evil-speaking  orators  of  sedition  and  anarchy. 
T.  Smith  explains  this  clause  thus :  "  Angels  of  great  power, 
and  the  most  excellent  beings  created  by  God ;  for  excellence  is 
derived  from  power,  according  to  common  conception :" — excel- 
lentia  enim  sumitur  a  potentia  juxta  vulgi  conceptum.  Whitby, 
Benson,  and  others :  '  Who  are  greater  in  power  than  the  fallen 
angels.'  When  holy  angels  are  compared  with  men  generally, 
they  must  be  allowed  to  be  far  superior  in  intellectual  and  moral 


154  CHAPTER  II.  VER.  11. 

endowments ;  even  the  wisest  and  best  of  mankind  are  weak  and 
imperfect  creatnres  when  compai-ed  with  those  mighty  ones  of 
strength  who  do  God's  command,  listening  for  the  least  intima- 
tions of  his  will,  Ps.  103  :  20.  When  holiness  and  intellect  are 
combined,  then  intelligent  beings  are  strong;  when  such  have 
never  sinned,  then  they  are  "  greater  in  strength  and poicer''''  than 
those  who  have.  From  this  point  of  view,  in  our  judgment,  these 
words  of  the  apostle  must  be  interpreted.  (What  he  says  here  is 
indeed  equally  true  if  explained  of  the  angels  that  sinned  ;  but 
we  think  that  interpretation  would  never  have  been  resorted  to, 
had  not  expositors  supposed  that  2  Pet.  2:11,  and  Jude  9  v.  w^ere 
parallel  in  signification.)  Now,  if  angels  thus  excel  the  wisest 
and  holiest  men  in  strength  and  power,  how  far  superior  must 
they  be  to  the  miserable  men  portrayed  by  the  apostle  —  wretches 
overpowered  by  lasciviousness,  avarice  and  foolish  ambition ! 
This  interpretation  so  briefly  hinted  at  by  Bengel,  is  perfectly 
consistent  with  the  preceding  and  subsequent  context,  10  :  12  vs. 
For,  says  the  apostle,  '  they  are  exceedingly  lascivious  persons, 
and  despise  dominion  or  government ;'  not  that  surely  with  which 
angels  are  invested,  but  that  entrusted  to  men.  '  Fool-hardy  and 
self-willed !'  or  obstinate  and  impudent  men  whose  passions  blind 
their  judgment,  and  impel  them  to  treat  with  abuse  and  slander 
those  who  are  appointed  to  ujDhold  the  state  and  enforce  its  laws. 
But  angels,  when  they  speak  of  magistrates,  never  utter  words 
of  vituperation.  These  men,  however,  like  animals,  let  their  pas- 
sions drive  them  to  destruction.  The  word  *'  angels,"  accompa- 
nied by  no  descriptive  word  or  phrase,  means  the  holy  angels. 
Comp.  Matt.  4  :  11 ;  1  Pet.  1 :  12.  (Here,  however,  they  are  de- 
scribed or  defined  as  "  greater  in  strength  and  power  ";  the 
allusion  being  to  Ps.  103  :  20.) 

Angels  bring  not  against  them  an  evil-spohen  judgment^  when 
standing  before  the  Lord:  oh  tfipooai  xaz  avTwv  -apa  xopiat 
^ka.<T<p-Q!wv  xpiaiv.  The  sense  is :  When  angels  report  to  the 
Lord  the  doings  of  magistrates  on  earth,  they  never,  no  matter 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  11.  ]55 

how  great  may  be  the  sins  of  the  earthly  dignities,  utter  an 
abusive  sentence  against  them ;  or,  they  never  express  their  judg- 
ment about  them  in  insolent  or  slanderous  Avords,  as  false  teach- 
ers and  their  followers  do. 

Calvin :  " At  that  time  almost  all  magistrates  Mere  impious 
and  bloody  enemies  of  the  church.  The  angels  therefore,  who 
are  the  guardians  of  the  church,  must  have  hated  them.  The 
apostle  however  says  that  men  deserving  of  hatred  and  execra- 
tion are  so  condemned  by  them  as  to  show  respect  to  divinely- 
appointed  authority.  Such  moderation,  says  Peter,  there  is  in 
the  angels  ;  but  these  wretches  in  hot  haste  utter  without  tremb- 
ling dissolute  and  unbridled  revilings."  T.  Smith :  "  Angels 
refrain  from  such  revilings  against  them^  i.  e.,  against  magis- 
trates." 

Angels  briuff  not  an  evil-spohen  judgment,  or,  they  bear  not 
such  a  judgment :  xpiatq  means  judgment,  opinion  expressed 
respecting  the  moral  character  of  earthly  dignities,  according  to 
Calvin,  and,  by  implication,  unf:ivorable  judgment  or  condem- 
nation; disapproval  of  it,  and  oo  ^XaatprniMv^  without  reviling: 
compare  the  use  of  y.piixa,  (Matt.  7  :  2,)  and  y.pi<Tt^,  John  7  :  24. 
Our  translators  take  it  in  the  sense  of  accusation  /  but  then  it 
should  have  been  xartiyopia  or  ahia,  (as  in  Luke  6:7;  John  18 :  29 ; 
1  Tim.  5:19;  Tit.  1:6;  Mark  15 :  26 ;  Acts  25 :  18,)  dhiaim  or 
ffhtujria,  as  in  Acts  25  :  7 ;  for  neither  of  which  is  there  any  manu- 
script authority ;  nor  can  the  meaning  "  accusation  "  be  justified 
by  usage.  That  signification  of  the  word  therefore,  must  be 
abandoned.  We  take  xpifftq  to  mean  judgment,  not  in  the  judi- 
cial sense,  for  God  in  Christ  is  alone  judge  and  law-giver,  (Jas. 
4  :  12  ;)  but  as  an  expression  of  opinion  by  angels  as  to  the  acts 
or  moral  character  of  magistrates.  The  angels  bring  {bear  or 
carry)  a  judgment,  or  express  and  report  in  their  language,  (1 
Cor.  13:  1,)  what  they  have  observed  or  learned  of  dignities 
here.  "If  any  one  comes  to  you,  and  brings  not  this  doctrine," 
etc.,  2  John,  11  v.     Now,  if  one  had  brought  the  doctrine  in  his 


156  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  11. 

heart  he  could  not  but  speak  it,  as  Peter  and  John  in  substance 
say,  Acts  4 :  20.  And  when  our  apostle  here  says,  "  Angels 
bring  not  against  them  an  evil-spoken  judgment,"  he  means  there- 
by that  they  never  declare  it  in  language  which  is  disrespectful 
to  magistrates,  or  which  is  not  in  all  respects  truthful.  This  is 
confirmed  by  Jude,  9  v.:  for  he  uses  ir^v^eyxs'Lv^to  bring  forward^ 
utter ;  thus  showing  how  he  understood  this  expression  of  Peter. 

The  phrase  -apa  y.opim  is  here  rendered  by  our  translators  be- 
fore the  Lord,  and  the  cognate  expression  -Kapa  tuT  Oecp  "  before 
God,"  (Rom.  2  :  13,)  "in  the  sight  of  God,"  (Gal.  3  :  11  ;)  but 
generally  "  with  God,"  as  in  Rom.  2  :  11 ;  9  :  14  ;  1  Cor.  3  :  19. 
(Comp.  Eph.  6  :  9.)  In  2  Pet.  3:8,"  with  the  Lord:'  Both  ex- 
pressions generally  mean  in  his  sight,  judgment  or  decision,  as 
in  1  Pet.  2:4.  "  In  God's  sight  select  (choice,)  precious."  1  Pet. 
2  :  20,  "  This  is  grace  in  God's  sight ;"  in  his  judgment,  it  is  a 
graceful  exhibition  of  true  kindness.  "  One  day  loith  the  Lord 
{in  his  sight)  is  as  a  thousand  years ;"  in  his  judgment  of  time, 
a  millennium  and  a  day  are  alike.  And,  if  this  phrase  be  a  part 
of  the  genuine  text  of  Peter,  as  we  believe,  then  the  sense  either 
is:  'Angels,  however,  in  similar  circumstances,  as  the  Lord  is 
judge,  utter  not  any  vituperative  language  against  magistrates;' 
or,  it  signifies  whe^i  standing  before  the  Lord,  they  express  or 
rejiort  no  such  judgment  against  them:  Tzapa  xupta=neaY  to  the 
Lord,  standing  before  him  ;  which  we  prefer,  with  Barnes.  See 
Job.  1:  6,  and  2:  1. 

In  favor  of  -apa  xopito  are  B.  C.  G.  K.  For  its  omission,  A. 
•  and  ten  manuscripts  (cursive.)  Tischendorf  and  Lachmann  omit 
the  phrase.  Griesbach  considers  the  evidence  not  sufiicient  to 
justify  its  expulsion  from  the  text.  Bengel,  Hahn,  and  Bloom- 
field  consider  the  expression  genuine.  In  the  Vulgate,  and  Sy- 
riac  version,  the  Avords  are  omitted. 

But  to  tohom  do  the  angels  speak  of  dignities  ?  To  the  Lord 
Christ,  or  standing  before  him  as  "  the  head  of  all  principality 
and  power."    If  any  think  it  strange  that  the  holy  angels  are 


CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  11  15  7 

represented  by  the  apostle  as  reporting  to  our  Lord  the  doings 
of  magistrates  here,  such  may  be  reminded  of  what  is  written, 
Ileb.  1 :  14,  and  2  :  5.  For  how  can  angels  be  ministering  spirits 
to  the  pious  on  earth,  without  becoming  acquainted  with  the  acts 
of  the  dignities  here  ?  And  when  they  return  to  give  an  account 
of  their  embassy,  why  may  they  not  bring  forward  tlie  plain 
unvarnished  truth,  not  only  respecting  the  saints,  but  those 
magistrates  also,  who  have  oi)pressed  or  who  still  oppress  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ  ?  Why  should  this  be  deemed  incredible  ?  Be- 
sides, if  "the  future  habitable  earth,"  (Heb.  2:  5,)  be  not 
subjected  to  angels,  does  not  that  form  of  speech  imply  that 
the  present  habitable  earth  is?     Compare  Rev.  1 :  1 ;  2:  16. 

They  who  think  that  the  apostle  intended  to  show,  that  the 
holy  angels  do  not  revile  the  fallen  angels  say,  that  by  simply 
exchanging  the  rough  for  the  smooth  breathing,  abrav  for  aurwv^ 
that  thought  is  elicited :  '  Bring  not  against  themselves^''  origin- 
ally of  their  number ;  but  the  evidence  for  this,  derived  from 
manuscripts,  versions  and  church-fathers  is  so  very  slight,  that  it 
is  rejected  even  by  Lachmann. 

Neither  is  the  passage,  (Jude,  9  v.,)  sti'ictly  speaking,  parallel 
to  the  one  before  us.  Peter  S2)eaks  of  a?7ffels,  Jude  of  Michael 
the  archangel :  Peter  speaks  of  angels  bringing  forward  a  truth- 
ful and  respectful  narrative  or  report  to  the  Lord  Jesus  of  the 
inal-administration  of  magistrates  on  earth ;  Jude,  of  a  debate 
in  which  Satan  and  Michael  were  engaged  with  reference  to  the 
body  of  Moses,  in  which  debate  Michael  used  no  scurrillous  lan- 
guage even  to  the  Devil.  So  striking  are  the  differences ;  and 
the  two  passages  agree  only  in  the  fact,  that  when  a  good  angel 
speaks  of  any  transgressor,  of  earth  or  hell,  he  never  plays  the 
part  of  a  ribald  or  buflbon. 

Jude,  it  is  likely,  took  the  account  he  gives  of  the  controversy 
between  Michael  and  Satan  from  some  oral  or  written  tradition, 
then  relied  on  by  the  perverters  of  the  gospel  in  the  community 
of  Christians  which  he  addressed.     He  simply  attacks  such  with 


158  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  12. 

their  own  weapons,  or  appeals  to  a  story  they  believed,  or  pro- 
fessed to  believe  as  true,  and  thus  shows,  on  their  own  principles 
and  from  their  own  sources  of  evidence,  that  they  Avho  revile 
dicrnities  are  without  excuse.  It  is  a  clever  arofumentura  ad  ho- 
minem,  and  none  can  prove  from  this  allusion  to  it  by  Jude,  that 
he  believed  it  to  be  either  true  or  false. 

Bengel :  Apiid  Domimmi.  Judicem,  eumque  prajsentem,  re- 
veriti,  abstinent  judicio.  But  Peter  says  not  that  they  abstain 
from  judgment,  but  from  an  evil-spoken  one. 

^^JBut  these,  as  irrational  sensual  animals  which  are  made  to 
he  taken  and  destroyed,  speak  evil  of  things  that  they  do  not 
understand,  and,  in  consequence  of  their  corruption,  shall  be 
destroyed,  ^"^receiving  the  loages  of  unrighteousness. 

V.  12.  '  Angels  never  revile  dignities,  but  these  fool-hardy  and 
self-willed  men,  throw  the  reins  on  the  neck  of  their  lusts ;  their 
passions  and  appetites  drive  them  like  wild  beasts  into  destruc- 
tion ;  a  destruction  that  shall  certainly  be  executed  by  the  Lord 
Jesus  on  the  day  of  Judgment,  (9  v.)  and  which  is  richly  deserved 
in  consequence  of  their  moral  corruption.'  They  who  despise 
government  and  speak  evil  of  those  appointed  to  uphold  the  state 
and  enforce  its  laws,  show  an  insatiable  liking  for  sin ;  their 
moral  corruption  often  leads  them  to  the  prison  and  gallows  here, 
and  if  they  repent  not,  a  worse  prison  awaits  them  hereafter. 

As  irrational  sensual  animals,  ux;  aXoya  ZiLa,  (foaua ;  both  uXoya 
and  fuav/A  are  desci-iptive  adjectives  qualifying  C«>«.  The  word 
rendered  irrational  means  speechless  or  reasonless;  we  prefer 
"irrational,"  for  to  express  dumb  or  speechless,  Peter  uses  a^wv»!>, 
16.  (Compare  1  Pet.  2:2;  Rom.  12:1,  Gr.)  Sensual,  literally, 
natural ,'  guided  by  the  nature  which  animals  have,  whose  appe- 
tites are  a  law  to  them,  since  reason  is  withheld  from  them.  But 
when  men  put  their  passions  to  the  helm,  while  reason  and  con- 
science are  fist  asleep,  then  they  must  make  shipwreck  of  their 
well-being  in  time  and  in  eternity,  Which  are  made  to  be  taken 
and  destroyed:   literally,    "Born  for  seizure  and  corruption;" 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  12.  159 

that  is,  physical  corruption  or  death,  such  corruption  as  befalls 
animals,  which,  whether  wild  or  tame,  were  made  by  God  to  be 
taken  and  killed  by  men  for  their  sustenance  or  safety.  Gen.  9 : 
1-3,  Some  connect  natural  Avith  the  following  Avords,  taking  it 
adverbially :  '  But  these,  as  irrational  animals,  naturally  horn  for 
seizure  and  corruption':  it  Avould,  however  puzzle  any  one  but  a 
learned  commentator  or  critic  to  demonstrate  how  either  men  or 
animals  can  be  born  except  naturally. 

SjyeaJc  evil  of  things  that  they  do  not  binder  stand,  or,  speak  evil 
of  things  that  they  know  nothing  of:  tv  olq  ay^ooat  (iXafffy^iwouvrei^: 
Si)  oT?=^-'  TouToifT,  a.  'They  insolently  babble  on  matters  whicli 
they  knoAV  nothing  of.'  "  They  revile  the  acts  of  magistrates," 
says  Benson,  "  ignorant  of  the  secret  springs  or  motives  of  their 
conduct :  they  know  nothing  of  the  arcana  imperii,"  which  re- 
viles acts  from  the  impulse  of  fierce  passions  only,  attacking  dig- 
as  wild  beasts  rush  on  their  enemies:  but  they  are  irrational  in 
so  doing;  for  without  Government  and  Dignities,  our  world 
would  soon  become  an  Aceldama,  and  exhibit  a  vivid  picture  of 
Hell,  where  all  are  "hateful  and  hating  one  another." 

And,  in  consequence  of  their  corruption,  shall  be  destroyed: 
literally,  "  And  in  their  corruption  shall  be  corrupted."  Corrup- 
tion means  gross  moral  depravity  or  wickedness,  as  in  the 
nineteenth  verse,  and  1 :  4.  In  their  corruption  signifies,  In  con- 
sequence of  their  corruj^tion,  as  in  1 :  4 ;  1  Pet.  4  :  14.  The  verb 
shall  he  corrupted  is  equivalent  to  shall  be  destroyed ;  (compare 
Gen.  6  :  12,  13  ;  Heb.)  A  similar  sudden  change  of  meaning  oc- 
curs 1  Cor.  3:17.  If  any  one  corrupt  the  temple  of  God,  him 
vnll  God  corrupt^''  i.  e.  destroy ;  xai  <fOapr,<jovTai,  A.  B.  C* 
y.ara<pOapri<ro\>7at,  C.**  G.  K.  Tischendorf  and  Lachmann  edit  the 
former  reading,  Griesbach  and  Bengel,  the  latter. 

Receiving  the  wages  of  unrighteousness :  or  carrying  off  tlie 
wages  of  unrighteousness.  This  clause  must  be  connected  witli 
the  preceding  one  :  "And  shall,  in  consequence  of  their  corrup- 
tion, be  destroyed,  receiving  the  wages  of  unrighteousness ;"  i.  e. 


160  CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  12. 

tliey  shall  certainly  be  punished,  and  punished  justly,  receiving 
the  payment  or  retribution  they  have  earned  by  their  enormous 
wickedness.  "  The  wages  of  sin  is  Death,  but  the  gift  of  God  is 
Eternal  Life  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  Rom.  6 :  23. 
'■''Bringing  on  themselves  swift  destruction,"  1  v.  That  the  sins 
of  men  are  the  proximate  causes  of  their  condemnation,  is  the 
uniform  doctrine  of  Scriptnre.  T.  Smith :  Male  haec  verba  a 
precedentibus  sejunguntur :  poenam,  quam  impietate  sua  meren- 
tur,  subibunt.  The  participle  here  used  by  Peter  is  the  future 
middle  of  the  so-called  Attic  form :  xopMu/xsvut  In  the  active 
voice  y.oij.i%io  means  to  take  up  and  bear  away  (for  another),  hring^ 
Lvake  7:37.  Elsewhere  it  is  found  in  middle  voice,  meaning  to 
take  up  and  bear  away  for  one's  self,  or  bring  on  one's  self,  i.  e. 
receive.  Thus,  Matt.  25 :  27 :  "Thou  shouldst  therefore  have  i>ut 
out  my  money  to  the  exchangers,  and  then,  when  I  come,  I 
tooxdd  have  received  my  own  with  interest."  2  Cor.  5:  10. 
"  For  we  must  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  in  or- 
der that  each  may  receive^''  etc.  Col.  3 :  25.  "  For  he  that 
doeth  wrong  shall  receive  for  the  wrong  which  he  hath  done ;  and 
hence  there  is  no  partiality."  1  Pet.  1 :  9.  "  7?ece^y^V^v7  the  end  " 
(ultimate  result,  or  final  gracious  recompense,)  of  your  faith, 
your  personal  salvation."  1  Pet.  5:9.  "  And,  when  the  Chief 
Shepherd  has  appeared,  ye  shcdl  receive  the  crown  of  glory  that 
cannot  fade ;"  take  up  and  bear  away  for  yourselves  as  conquer- 
ors, that  crown.  So  here  '  In  consequence  of  their  wickedness 
they  shall  certainly  be  punished,  and  that  justly,  for  they  shall  re- 
ceive the  wages  of  unrighteousness^  or  bring  on  themselves  that 
punishment  which  their  sins  deserve.'  They  shall  have  to  take  up 
and  carry  a  dreadful  burden,  made  up  of  an  accusing  conscience 
and  a  sense  of  the  wrath  of  God.  For  "the  worm  that  diethnot," 
is  a  perpetually  accusing  conscience,  and  the  "  fire  that  is  not 
quenched"  is  the  fearful  indignation  of  the  Holy,  Immutable  and 
Almighty  Judge.  Mark  9:48,  with  John  3:36;  Rom.  2:5-11; 
9:  22;   Eph.  5:6;  Rev.  6:  17,  17;    14:   10.   11;  Matt.  25:  41; 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  13.  161 

Heb.  10:27.  And  how  can  the  inoorrigihhj  depraved  escape 
from  his  hands,  or  break  the  prison  doors  of  hell  ?  How  can 
they  flee  from  themselves  ?  Let  the  chief  English  poet  of  the 
Satanic  School,  illustrate  the  mode  of  "receiving  the  wages  of 
unrighteousness  "  : 

"The  mind  that  broods  o'er  guilty  woes, 

Is  like  the  scorpion  gin  by  flre, 

In  circle  narrowing  as  it  glows ; 

Till  inly  searched  by  thousand  throes, 

And  maddening  in  her  ire, 

One  sole  and  sad  relief  she  knows  — 

The  sting  she  nourished  for  her  foes, 

Whose  venom  never  proved  in  vain, 

And  darts  iC  into  her  desperate  brain. 

So  do  the  dark  in  soul  expire : 

Or  live,  like  scorpion,  girt  by  fire. 

So  withers  the  soul  remorse  hath  riven. 

Unloved  of  earth,  unblessed  of  heaven : 

Darkness  above,  despair  beneath, 

Around  it  flame,  within  it  death." 

But  some  deceive  themselves  and  others  with  vain  words,  or 
false  and  meaningless  doctrines,  (Eph.  5  :  6,)  affinuing  that  the 
future  destruction  of  the  wicked  consists  in  annihilation.  We 
answer  that  it  is  the  destruction,  not  of  being,  but  of  Avell-being. 
The  Judge  of  all,  must  know  all  about  this  awful  subject,  arid  he 
cannot  lie.  What  is  his  determination  and  declaration  on  this 
subject  ?  He  declares,  in  the  most  striking,  perspicuous,  and  fear- 
ful language,  that  it  does  not  consist  in  annihilation.  "  Where 
their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched.  For  every 
one  shall  he  salted  with  fire,  and  every  sacrifice  shallbe  salted  with 
salt^''  Mark  9 :  48,  49.  Here  Ave  are  explicitly  told  that  the  finally 
impenitent  and  incorrigibly  Avicked  shall  not  lose  their  immor- 
tality ;  their  conscience  is  immortal,  and  so  must  be  their  other 
mental  faculties :  while  the  purpose  of  the  Judge,  and  his  holy 
indignation  against  their  sins,  is  a  fire  unquenchable  or  innnuta- 
ble,  from  which  escape  is  impossible.  For  every  one  shall  be 
preserved  iu  being  by  the  almighty  power  and  just  displeasure 
11 


162  CHAPTER  IL,  VER.  13. 

of  the  Judge,  (Dent.  4:  24;  Heb.  12:  29,)  and  every  victim 
of  the  divine  justice  shall  be  preserved  in  being  everlasting. 
("  Shall  be  salted  with  salt"=shall  be  preserved  with  preserva- 
tion ;  an  intensive  form  of  speech  to  denote  everlasting  exist- 
ence.) And  that  the  body  will  partake  of  the  punishment,, 
is  also  explicitly  told  us  by  "  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth," 
Matt.  10:  28. 

Men  bring  this  destruction  on  themselves,  inasmxieh  as  their 
moral  corruption  is  the  iH'ocuring  proximate  cause  of  it,  (2:  1, 
1 2.)  "  God  in  Christ "  brings  it  on  them,  and  keeps  them  im- 
mortal to  endure  it,  as  the  holy,  truthful,  just,  omnipotent  and  un- 
changeable Judge,  2:5,   9, 10. 

To  assume  that  the  lost  in  hell  will,  in  some  future  age  after 
the  judgment  of  the  great  day,  be  renewed  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
is  "  destructive  heresy."  There  is  not  the  faintest  intimation  of 
such  a  doctrine  in  all  the  sacred  Word.  Men  may  and  do  de- 
ceive us,  hut  God  cannot.  And  what  are  mere  human  opinions 
and  ooojectvTres  worth  to  a  soul  exchangang  time  for  eternity  ? 
What  must  be  thought  of  them  by  those  whose  destiny  is  unal- 
terably fixed  ?  "  Be  BOt  deceived ;  God  is  not  mocked :"  (he  is  not 
one  to  be  scorned  or  sneered  at)  "  for  whatever  a  man  sowetli', 
that  shall  he  also  reap;  for  he  that  sowethto  his  flesh  shall  of  the 
flesh  reap  corruption,  but  he  tliat  soweth  to  the  spirit  sliall  of  the 
spirit  reap  life  everlasting,"  Gal.  6  r  7-8.  Here  life  everlasting 
is  contrasted  with  cori'uption,  or  endless  blesseelness  with  endless 
misery,  and  it  is  declared  that  no  other  recompense  awaits  the 
imholy  and  holy.  And  in  Matt.  25  :  41,  the  same  word,  "  ever- 
lasting," is  used  to  express  the  duration  of  the  bliss  of  the  right- 
eous and  the  misery  of  the  wicked. 

Inasmuch  as  they  think  that  luxury  in  daylight  is  pleasure — 
s2X)ts^  and  blemishes  /  living  Inxuriouslyy  while  in  co7iseqnence  of 
their  deceits  they  feast  with  you.  The  apostle  is  illustrating  the 
justice  of  their  pimishment:  'In  consequence  of  their  moral  cor- 
ruption  they  sliall  be  destroyed,   receiving  the   wages   of  un- 


CHAPTER  IL,  VER.  13.  163 

righteousness ;  inasmucli  as  they  esteem,'  etc.  The  participle 
"  thinking,"  is  employed  to  assign  a  reason  of  the  preceding 
statement,  instances  of  Avhich  have  been  before  noticed,  1  :  14. 
^'^ Knowing  that,"  etc.,  since  I  know,  2:7.  "  Rigliteous  Lot,  loorn 
out^''''  i.  e.,  since  ho  was  worn  out,  3:11.  "  All  these  things,  then, 
l>em(/  dissolvable,''^  i.  e.,  inasmuch  as  tliey  are  so  constituted. 
(Compare  1  Pet.  1 :  22,  23.)  And  so  also  in  14,  15  vs.  Luxury 
in  daylight,  ttjv  tv  riidim  -fiuiprj'j,  does  not  mean  daily  luxury,  quo- 
tidianas  delicias,  as  Beza  translates ;  neither  does  it  mean  luxury 
summed  up  in  a  day,  or  brief  and  transitory  luxury,  as  others 
explain  ;  nor  does  it  signify  their  luxury  on  the  day  in  which  the 
love-feasts  were  celebrated,  as  Bengel  suggests;  but  "in  the 
daytinae,"  or  in  daylight,  as  our  translators  rightly  judged.  So 
it  is  used  also  in  1:19.  "  Until  daylight  break  through,"  or  the 
day  dawn.  Luxury  means  a  soft,  effeminate  and  ej^icurean  Avay 
of  living ;  an  excessive  use  of  rich  food  and  choice  wines,  with 
an  undue  regard  for  costly  raiment,  Luke  7  :  25.  Paul  in  a  paral- 
lel passage,  describes  in  a  homely  manner  such  idol  Avorship, 
Phil.  3:  19.  See  also  Isa.  4:  11,  12  ;  28:  7.  Such  heretical  fops  and 
epicurean  false  teachers  deserve  severe  punishment;  for  they  live, 
not  to  guide  their  disciples  in  the  way  of  life,  not  to  serve  God 
or  benefit  men,  but  to  eat  and  drink  and  dress — that  is  all.  And 
"  inasmuch  as  they  think  that  luxury  in  daylight  is  pleasxire^'' 
{i.  e.,  the  chief  good,  or  the  next  thing  to  it,)  "  they  shall  be 
destroyed,  receiving  the  wages  of  unrighteousness."  The  an- 
cients generally  feasted  in  the  night ;  luxury  in  the  day  time 
therefore  denotes  uncommon  excess  in  this  particular,  Acts  2:15; 
1  Thess.  5  :  7. 

jSjyots  and  blemishes !  An  outburst  of  holy  indignation,  as  in 
10  v.  Here  are  two  elliptical  metaphors,  equivalent  to  'These 
are  spots  and  blemishes,'  and  the  sense  is :  These,  like  filthy  spots 
on  garments  and  blemishes  on  the  human  body,  are  a  disgrace 
and  dishonor  to  the  church  of  Christ,  under  this  disi)ensation  of 
his  grace.  (Compare  Eph.  5:27;  Lev.  21 :  16,  etc.)     Living  lux- 


164  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  13. 

tiriously,  living  like  epicures,  though  professing  to  be  Christians ; 
[LXX.  Isa.  55:2;  Jas.  5:5;)  not  "  sporting  themselves,"  unless 
that  expression  means  luxurious  self-indulgence :  the  allusion  in 
this  word,  hrpufibvTEq,  is  not  to  their  licentiousness,  but  to  the 
worship  of  the  dining-table,  or  what  the  great  English  poet  calls 
"  sumptuous  gluttonies  and  gorgeous  feasts."  In  consequence  of 
their  deceits^  i.  e.,  hypocritical  stratagems,  and  seemingly  holy 
words.  "Lepers  in  saintly  garb!"  "With  good  words  and 
fair  speeches  they  deceive  the  hearts  of  the  simple,"  Rom.  16 :  18. 
While  they  feast  with  you:  comj).  Jude,  12  v.  The  reference  in 
these  words  is  either  to  the  agapre  or  love-feasts  ;  feasts  to  which 
the  wealthier  brethren  chiefly  contributed,  and  in  which  the  dis- 
ciples, rich  and  poor  together,  met  to  partake  of  what  was  orig- 
inally but  a  frugal  meal,  in  token  of  their  brotherly  love.  See 
Jude,  12  V.  Compare  1  Cor.  11 :  21,  22.  We  have  the  testimony 
of  a  heathen  who  had  the  best  opportunities  of  judging,  Pliny 
the  younger,  that  the  Agapce,  (or  Lord's  supper,  or  both,)  were 
then  innocently  observed  by  Christians  in  Asia  Minor :  Cibraii 
siniul  capiebant,  promiscum  tamen  et  innocuum.  (Compare  Ter- 
tuUian,  Apolog.  cap.  39.)  But  the  appearance  of  false  teachers 
in  the  church,  and  the  great  success  they  met  with,  in  accordance 
with  the  apostle's  prediction,  (2:  1,  2,)  led  to  the  non-observance 
of  them  altogether.  Or  the  reference  in  the  words  "  while  they 
feast  with  you,"  is  to  the  love-feasts  and  the  Lord's  supper,  Avhich 
were  both  observed  in  the  apostolic  age  by  professed  Christians. 
(The  Lord's  supper  however,  is  alone  of  divine  institution,  1  Cor. 
11:  23-26.)  And  it  is  probable,  as  Doddridge  suggests,  that 
the  apostle's  design  is  to  show  that  false  teachers  would  live 
luxuriously  at  home  and  among  those  like  themselves,  not  among 
their  dupes  ;  while,  on  other  occasions,  or  when  the  Agapce  and 
Lord's  supper  Avere  observed,  their  hypocrisy  Avould  impel  them 
to  play  the  part  of  saints  by  banquetting  Avith  them  at  these 
pious  festivals.  Hoav  else  could  they  keep  up  even  the  appear- 
ance of  piety?     What  becomes  of  their   deceitful  words  and 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  14.  165 

stratagems,  if  this  be  not  assumed '?  And  does  not  the  wliole 
history  of  the  church  demonstrate  such  hypocrisy  to  be  an  un- 
questionable fact  ?  Accordingly  the  sense  of  this  verse  is :  '  They 
shall  be  justly  punished,  inasmuch  as  they  think  that  excessive 
luxury  is  the  chief  good — vile  men  bringing  reproach  on  the 
church  of  Christ !  Living  constantly  in  luxury  in  their  private 
dwellings,  Avith  others  of  the  same  corrupt  mind,  and  "blind 
guides"  like  themselves ;  while  in  the  public  religious  assemblies, 
they  banquet  with  you  at  the  supper  af  the  Lord,  and  at  feasts 
indicative  of  fraternal  love.'  (This  interpretation  is  based  on 
the  fact  that  the  participle,  atr^towyuijiLzvat^  "  feasting  with  you," 
expresses  a  condition^  or  rather  a  supposition  assumed  as  true 
by  the  apostle,  as  in  1:20;  3 :  3.)  A.*  C.  G.  K.  for  the  com- 
mon reading  a-«rair,  B.  aya-atc.  Jude  has :  "These  are  break- 
ers in  your  agapa\"  concealed  rocks  among  those  who  meet  to 
testify  their  brotherly  love,  (12  v.,)  or  dangei'ous  men  who  covert- 
ly lead  and  dash  others  to  destruction,  causing  them  to  make 
shipwreck  of  faith  and  a  good  conscience,  1  Tim.  1:  19.  The 
MSS.  evidence  for  the  common  reading  is  decidedly  preponder- 
ating ;  Avhile  the  translation  of  the  thirteenth  verse  in  the  Vulgate 
Latin  and  Syriac  versions,  is  too  paraphrastic  and  confused  to 
suffice  for  elucidation.  Neither  is  the  fact  that  Jude  has  aga- 
pte,  any  decisive  proof  that  the  same  word  was  here  used  by 
Peter,  miless  it  could  be  demonstrated  that  Jude  was  but  a 
slavish  copyist,  which  can  never  be  done,  since  he  has  striking 
expressions  peculiarly  his  own:  e.  </.,  "  Breakers  in  your  love- 
feasts  f  ^"^  loaterless  clouds  wind-driven  ;  trees  leafless^  (unfruitful 
or  fruitless,  2  Pet.  1 :  8,)  twice  dead  and  uprooted ;  toild  waves  of 
the  sea  foaming  up  their  own  indecencies  /  wanderiitg  stars  ;  to 
mention  no  others,  12,  13  vs.  The  common  reading  "deceits" 
must  therefore  be  retained  as  genuine;  and  it  is  accordingly  so 
edited  by  Tischendorf,  Griesbach,  Bengcl,  Bloomfield  and  llahn. 
V.  14.  /Since  they  have  eye>t  filled  tcith  an  adulteress.,  and  that 
cease  not  from  sin,  insnariny  tinestablished  soids.  Their  punish- 


166  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  14. 

ment  is  just,  not  only  because  of  their  excessive  luxury  and  hy- 
pocrisy, (13  V.,)  hut  also  because  of  their  lasciviousness.  Eyir^re'r^ 
having=since  they  have.  Eyes  filled  with,  or  full  of,  an  adul- 
teress^ 6<pOaXiJ.ooq  iJ.e(TTuuz  ixniyaXiduq:  no  combination  of  words 
could  more  graphically  represent  their  abominable  lewdness ;  beau- 
tiful married  women  take  complete  possession  of  their  eyes,  and 
nothing  in  this  world  delights  them  more  than  to  insnare  the 
fickle-minded  and  wavering  ones  who  forsake  the  guides  of  their 
youth,  and  the  covenant  made  in  the  sight  of  God.  Nor  are  they 
satisfied  with  once  committing  this  heinous  transgression,  but 
cease  not  from  sin  in  this  pai'ticular.  The  seduction  of  yoiithful 
virgins  is  not  enough  to  gratify  their  shameful  appetites,  but 
wives  also  must  be  caught  and  entangled  in  their  snares,  (18,  19 
vs ;)  and  this  by  men  who  call  themselves  teachers  of  Christiani- 
ty! 1,  2  vs.  Well  does  the  apostle  compare  such  to  "irrational 
sensual  animals ;"  and  when  "  the  Lord  has  come  and  shed  light 
on  the  hidden  things  of  darkness,"  (the  secret  concealed  sins  of 
teachers  or  ministers  now  often  covered  with  a  dark  veil,)  "and 
manifested"  (or  brought  to  light)  "  the  counsels  of  their  hearts," 
or  motives  of  their  actions  as  teachers,  (1  Cor.  14  :  5,)  then  these 
false  teachers  here  described  shall  find,  that  their  last  state  is 
destruction,  Phil.  3  :  19.  Compare  1  Cor.  6 :  9,  10  ;  Pro  v.  2  : 
16-1 9  ;  Prov.  5th  chap.  6  :  23-32 ;  7  :  24-27.  "Whose  condemna- 
tion is  just." 

The  common  version,  "  that  cannot  cease  from  sin"  is,  in  our 
judgment,  inaccurate.  Our  translators  evidently  supposed  the 
verbal  adjective,  a7.arar.ab(!zooq  to  be  passive,  '  not  to  be  stoj^ped,' 
or  'which  cannot  be  made  to  cease  ;'  but  it  is  the  verbal  adjective 
of  the  middle  voice,*  and  hence  the  sense  is,  '  Eyes  that  do  not 
let  themselves  stop  from  sin,'  or  '  that  cease  not  from  the  sin 
n.amed.'  Their  lascivious  temper  manifests  itself  by  incessant 
wanton  glances.     Comp.  Job  31:1;  Matt.  5  :  27-29.    The  simple 

*See  Buttmami's  Gr.  by  Robinson,  §  136  :  3. 


CHArTER  n.,  YER.  14.  167 

verb,  in  the  middle  voice,  is  used  in  the  first  epistle,  (4:1,)  '"'■Hath 
ceased  from  sin,"  -i-aurat*  o.rmpTia<;.  >S'o?<fe=persons,  as  in  1 
Pet.  1  :  11 ;  3:  20.  Insnarwg^  enticing,  ^eAea^^vre-,  taJcim/  witJt 
<x  bait,  as  fishes  with  a  hook,  (Jas.  1  :  14,)  or  land  animals  with  a 
trap  or  snare,  Xen.  Mem.  2:  J,  4.  The  arts  of  these  clerical  hy- 
pocrites are  thus  "designated,  and  hence  it  is  equivalent  to  seducing. 
Unestahlished  souls  =  fickle-minded  women,  not  stable  or  stead- 
fast in  their  confestsioii  of  Christ.  Comp.  1 :  12 ;  3  :  16,  17,  and 
1  Pet.  5  :  10.  Iloin  they  seduce  such  imsteady  persons  is  describ- 
ed, 18,  19  vs.     Comi>are  2  Tim.  3  :  4-6. 

Since  they  have<i  heart  trained  in  covetotfsness — children  of 
Curse  f  To  be  trained  is  to  be  drilled  like  soldiers,  or  like  the 
iit.hl«tfe,  Avhen  about  to  strive  in  the  games  of  victory, 
'/£yofj.va(Tp.ivTjy.  Their  affections  are  so  under  their  control  that 
they  easily  direct  them  towards  and  fasten  them  on  —  money ! 
their  montal  powers  also  are  well  disciplined,  and  they  are  skil- 
ful in  the  use  of  them ;  but  then  their  skill  is  exerted  mainly  to 
hoard  up  for  themselves ;  trained  in  respect  to  covetoitsness,  or  \\\ 
reference  to  covetousness.  Such  men,  like  the  Pharisees,  devour 
widow's  houses,  and  for  a,  pretence  make  iong  prayers,  and  hence 
they  shall  justly  receive  greater  condemnation,  Matt.  23:13. 
Compare  1  Tim.  6 :  9,  10. 

Children  of  Curse  !  an  elliptical  metaphor  equivalent  to.  These 
•are  children  of  curse:  ' appointed  or  doomed  to  punishment  be- 
■cause  of  sin ;'  which  is  the  same  as  saying,  "  In  consequence  of 
their  corruption  they  shall  be  destroyed,  receiving  the  wages  of 
unrighteousness ;"  for  since  it  is  perfectly  just  and  right  Avith 
God  to  punish  such  sinners  as  are  described  in  this  context,  how 
can  it  be  wrong  for  him  to  determine  to  do  it  ?  The  curse  means 
the  penalty  threatened  in  the  law  of  God,  (Gal.  3  :  10,)  and  to  be 
children  of  that  penalty,  means  to  deserve  such  punishment ;  and 
consequently,  since  God  is  truthful  and  just,  appointed  to  endure 
it.  Comijare  1  Pet.  2:  8.  Thus  3Iatt.  23:  16:  "Ye  make  him 
twofold  more  the  child  of  Jiell  than  yourselves."     Our  Lord  also 


168  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  14. 

calls  Judas  Iscariot,  the  avaricious  traitor  and  hypocrite,  "  the 
son  of  perdition^''  John  17:12  or,  '  child  of  destruction.' 
And  Peter  tells  Simon  Magus,  "  Thy  money  perish  with  thee  ;" 
literally,  "  Thy  money  be  with  thee  for  destruction."  Comp.  1 
Sam.  20 :  31  ;  (Heb.)  1  Pet.  1  :  4,  with  2  .  Doomed  men!  there- 
fore expresses  the  thought.  Bengel :  children  of  curse^  "  not  of 
blessing  in  Christ,"  1  Pet.  3:  9.  Robinson:  /.ardpae;  rixva,  i.  e. 
"  on  whom  the  curse  abides."  Compare  John  3  :  36  ;  Gal.  3:  10. 
Calvin:  "  Ctcrsed  children  may  be  explained  actively  or  passively ; 
that  is,  they  are  persons  who  bring  a  curse  with  them  wherever 
they  come,  or  they  are  those  who  deserve  the  curse."  This 
Hebraism,  son  or  child  of  a  thing,  is  very  naturally  used  to  ex- 
press inseparable  connection,  or  most  intimate  relation  ;  such  as 
that  existing  between  parents  and  children.  Children  of  Curses, 
signify  those  whose  sins  unite  them,  parentally^  witli  Perdition  ; 
or  persons  who  have  as  an  inseparable  connection  with  the  pen- 
alty denounced  in  God's  law,  as  a  child  has  with  its  mother  :  or, 
those  who  deserve  to  be  ptmished,  and  accordingly  are  apj)ointed 
thereunto.     Compare  1  Thess.  5:9;  Eph.  2  :  3. 

V.  15.  Because  they  have  fm^sahen  the  right  way,  meandered, 
and  followed  the  way  of  JBalaam,  the  son  of  JBosor^  who  loved 
the  vKiges  of  imrighteousness.  Balaam  is  called  the  Son  of  Beor, 
Num.  22  :  5  ;  24  :  3  ;  Mic.  6  :  5.  He  was  of  Aram  ;  of  the  city 
or  town,  Pethor,  Num.  22  :  5  ;  23  :  7.  The  Aram  meant,  is  Aram 
Naharim,  (Aram  of  the  two  rivers)  or  the  northern  part  of 
Mesopotamia.  Nxun.  23:7,  with  Deut.  23:4.  Lightfoot  says 
that  Bosor  is  the  Chaldee  way  of  writing  Beor.  (See  Ains- 
worth  on  Num.  22  :  5.)  But  this  matter  is  of  trifling  imjiortance, 
since  all  know  that  proper  names  when  transferred  from  one 
language  to  another,  are  peculiarly  liable  to  changes,  both  in 
vowels  and  consonants,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  pronunciation  : 
e.  g.  Isaiah =Esaias. 

Children   of  curse !   because   o-enuine  successors   of  Balaam. 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  15.  169 

Balaam  may  have  been  fond  of  honor,  (Num.  22:  17,)  but  it  is 
beyond  a  doubt  that  he  was  a  money-lover. 

"The  rewards  of  divination "  in  tlie  liands  of  the  elders  or 
princes,  'the  Avages  of  unrighteousness,'  (here  literally  used  by 
the  apostle,)  were  the  things  on  which  his  heart  was  set.  These 
lie  loved,  ISTum.  22:  7.  And  his  solemn  declaration  to  the  con- 
trary, (18  V.)  was  feigned.  He  was  indeed  a  miser,  yet  he  Avould 
not,  of  course,  acknowledge  the  fact  to  others,  much  less  to  the 
ambassadors  who  visited  him.  Neither  would  he  have  gone  with 
them,  after  the  Lord  had  expressly  forbidden  it,  if  he  had  not 
been  exceedingly  covetous.  Num.  22  :  13,  22,  32.  Nor  would  he 
have  afterwards  given  Balak  the  infamous  council  he  did,  viz :  to 
entice  Israel  to  idolatry  and  lewdness,  if  the  love  of  money  had 
not  been  his  master-passion.  Num.  31:  15,  16,  and  25:  1-9; 
Rev.  2:  14.  Those  then,  who  knowingly  pervert  the  gospel  of 
the  grace  of  God  unto  lasciviousness  and  idolatry,  and  that  be- 
cause of  avarice,  are  imitators  of  Balaam,  and  shall  be  destroyed 
in  consequence  of  their  corruption. 

To  forsake  the  right  way,  is  voluntarily  to  abandon  truth  and 
holiness ;  to  wander,  or  go  astray  from  it,  is  knowingly  to  em- 
brace and  propogate  error  and  encourage  one's  self  and  others  in 
acourse  of  sin ;  or  to  "increase  imto  more  ungodliness,"  2  Tim.  2: 
1 6  ;  ^o  folloio  the  way  of  Balaam,  is  to  imitate  his  conduct  as  a 
teacher,  or  to  make  use  of  the  same  abominable  stratageni  to 
gain  one's  ends  as  Balaam  did  to  obtain  his ;  in  a  Avord,  to  be- 
come virtually  teachers  of  idolatry  and  uncleanness  for  filthy 
lucre's  sake.  These  phrases  contain  the  rhetorical  figure,  called 
by  David  N.  Lord,  hypocatastasis  or  substitution  ;  l)y  Avhich  an 
act  with  its  object  or  condition  is  put,  without  a  formal  notice, 
for  another  analagous  to  it ;  either  for  illustration  or  ornament, 
or  for  both  purposes. 

The  character  of  Balaam,  as  a  man,  is  indefensible ;  lie  and 
Judas  Iscariot  certainly  were  not  saints,  else  it  would  be  com- 
patible to  serve  botli  God  and  mammon,  Matt.  6 :  24.     But  what 


170  CHAPTER  IL,  VER.  16. 

must  we  think  of  liim  as  o, prophet?  We  reply  that  a  wicked 
man  may,  for  a  time,  be  under  the  control  of  the  Holy  Sj^irit,  and 
therefore  truly  prophesy,  Matt.  V  :  22.  1  Cor.  13:3;  and  Moses, 
himself  an  undoubted  prophet  as  well  as  lawgiver,  by  putting 
some  of  Balaam's  prophecies  in  the  Pentateuch,  has  thus  given 
his  testimony  to  the  inspiration  of  those  which  he  has  recorded. 
So  far  Balaam  must  be  held  as  a  prophet,  though  a  bad  man. 
While  uttering  those  prophecies  which  Moses  has  preserved,  He 
who  made  his  soul  had  the  perfect  mastery  of  it,  so  that  Balaam 
involuntarily  blessed  those  whom  he  came  to  curse  ;  but  this  was 
a  rare  thing  in  his  life,  for  his  usual  course  was  to  resort  to  en- 
chanments  and  use  divination,  Num.  22:  7;  23:  20,  23;  24:  1. 
Accordingly  lie  is  called,  in  reference  to  his  uniform  doings,  the 
soothsayer  or  diviner.  Josh.  13  :  22  ;  an  expression  applied  to 
false  prophets.  Deut.  18 :  10,  14 ;  Mic.  3 :  6,  7, 11 ;  2  Ki.  17:17. 
1  Sam.  6  :  2.  (See  Butler's  Sermon  on  the  character  of  Balaam.) 
V.  16.  But  he  had  a  refutation  of  his  transgression-  when  the 
dumb  ass  spoTce  in  a  voice  like  men,  and  restrained  the  p'ophefs 
madness.  Heftctation,  £^£y^cv=^£X£y)(og,  corwiciion:  or  such  are- 
proof  of  a  person's  error,  theoretical  or  practical,  as  causes 
shame,  and  leaves  him  without  excuse.  2  Tim.  3:16.  Job.  21 : 
4 ;  23 :  2.  Z/JCJC.  He  was  thus  confuted  or  reproved  by  the 
utterance  of  the  ass  on  _which  he  rode.  An  ass  is  by  nature 
du)nb  or  sj)eechless,  aupw^iv ;  and  Avhen  it  spoke  in  a  voice  like 
that  of  men,  "Jehovah  opened  its  mouth,"  Nmu.  22:  28.  An 
adequate  cause  is  thus  assigned  for  the  effect  wrought;  and  if 
men  can  teach  a  parrot  to  hold  quite  a  clever  dialogue  with  them, 
surely  it  was  not  too  hard  for  Jehovah  to  enable  an  ass  to  hold  such 
a  dialogue  with  Balaam.  And  pray,  what  was  the  brute  herein 
but  an  unconscious  and  passive  instrument  of  God's  power? 
And  the  prophet  showed  what  an  insane  sinner  he  was,  in  not 
regarding  the  divine  monition  thus  conveyed  to  him.  (The 
miraculously  incorrigible  ignorance  on   Scriptural  topics,  often 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  17  171 

shown  by  skeptical  gentlemen,  shows  that  the  "  pons  asinonun  " 
may  be  found  not  only  in  Euclid,  but  elsewliere.) 

The  apostle  uses  the  aorist  tenses,  'iaytv  and  exwkutrs,  to  intimate 
that  tlie  refutation  of  Balaam's  transgression,  or  the  remorse  and 
shame  he  felt,  as  well  as  the  restraint  or  hindrance  to  which  lie 
was  subjected,  were  but  momentary:  his  covetousness,  as  the 
master-passion,  soon  administered  an  opiate  to  his  conscience, 
strengthening  him  for  the  Devil's  service.  And  false  teachers 
imitate  him  in  this  particular.  ("Forbade,"  in  the  common 
version,  means  'restrained'  or  'hindered.') 

The  aorist  partciple,  f<?£^|a//£vov,=' suddenly  and  unexpectedly 
uttered,'  is  used  to  suggest  that  the  miraculous  effect,  Avrought  by 
the  Divine  power,  was  but  for  a  moment ;  the  animal  immediately 
after  relapsing  into  its  speechless  state,  or  natural  condition. 
"With  or  in  a  voicelikeme7i,  h  dyOpw-ou  ^wvi^='  in  a  man's  voice,' 
3Tadness :  to  persevere  in  known  rebellion  to  God  because  of 
fleeting  riches,  is  indeed  an  indisputable  proof  of  an  insane 
heart  and  a  pervei'ted  will ;  -apa(fpoviav=i~apa<ffi()<jwrjV. 

"Tliese  are  wells  without  water,  clouds  by  a  temjiest  driven  ; 
for  whom  the  blackness  of  everlasting  darkness  is  kept.  "P'or 
by  uttering  great  SAvelling  Avords  of  vanity,  in  consequence  of 
carnal  lusts,  they  insnare  Avith  lascivious  arts  those  who  had  for 
a  little  while  fled  from  them  who  walk  in  error;  [and,]  '"by 
promising  them  freedom,  while  they  themselves  are  the  slaves  of 
corruption  !  for  by  what  any  one  is  overcome,  to  that  is  he  also 
enslaved.  ^"For  if  after  they  have  fled  from  the  defilements  of 
the  world  in  acknoAvledging  the  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
they  are  again  entangled  by  these  and  overcome,  [then]  their 
last  state  becomes  worse  than  the  first:  ^'better,  indeed,  had  it 
been  for  them  not  to  have  acknowledged  the  Avay  of  righteous- 
ness, than  after  they  have  acknowledged  it,  to  turn  away  from 
the  holy  commandment  delivered  to  them.  "But  that  which  is 
signified  by  the  true  proverb  has  overtaken  them  :  The  dog  has 
gone  back  to  his  own  vomit ;  and,  the  sow  that  was  washed,  to 
her  wallowing  in  the  mire. 

V.  17.  These  are  trells  inthout  ifater:  by  this  metaphor  the 
apostle  happily  indicates  that  in  some  respects  the  folsc  teachers 
are  plausable ;  they  make  a  great  shoAV  of  utility,  but  after  all 


172  CHAPTER  IL,   VER.  It. 

they  are  worthless.  When  a  thirsty  and  tired  traveller  perceives 
a  well  not  far  off,  or  notices  the  indications  of  a  fonntain,  he  natu- 
rally rejoices  ;  but  if,  on  a  nearer  approach,  he  finds  only  the 
outward  apparatus  of  a  well,  but  not  a  drop  of  water  in  it,  or  if 
the  spring  is  dried  up,  his  disappointment  is  great  and  painful. 
And  Avhen  men  are  at  allingenuous  and  truth-loving,  they  naturally 
expect  that  professed  teachers  of  Christianity  will  tell  them 
the  truth ;  but  how  great  and  poignant  must  be  the  disappoint- 
ment of  such,  in  many  instances!  The  apostle,  however,  here 
warns  us  that  these  false  teachers  are  ostentatious  hypocrites,  and 
that  it  is  foolish  for  men  to  expect  any  true  instruction  from  them. 
'  These  false  teachers  are  specious  deceivers ;  they  disappoint  the 
natural  expectations  of  those  who  depend  on  them  for  religious 
instruction.'  They  are  wells  vntliovt  neater,  destitute  of  holiness 
and  truth ;  with  both  of  which,  however,  the  apostles  have  been 
supplied  by  Jesus  our  Lord,  1 :  3,  4. 

Clouds  by  a  tempest  driven :  or,  clouds  storm-driven,  ^.  e. 
clouds  under  the  control  of  the  stormy  loinds.  (Compare  the 
original  in  Mark  4:37;  Luke  8  :  23.)  This  metaphor  is  general- 
ly explained  as  intended  to  express  their  fickleness  in  doctrinal 
tenets,  or  their  specioi;s  uselessness  to  their  disciples,  or  both 
combined;  or  as  designed  to  describe  the  harm  they  do  their  fol- 
lowers. For  example,  Calvin :  "  As  soon  as  dark  clouds  aj^pear 
men  expect  rain  to  water  the  earth.  He  says  that  they  are  clouds 
scattered  by  the  vrind^  bringing  no  rain,  but  bursting  forth  into  a 
calamitous  storm  ;  or  that  they  never  bring  anything  useful,  but 
often  very  hurtful."  Bloomfield:  "Specious  but  deceiving,  as 
wells  destitute  of  water,  and  clouds  which  bring  no  rain."  Ben- 
son translates,  "  Light  clouds,  driven  by  a  tempestuous  Avind," 
and  he  agrees  in  substance  with  Calvin's  explanation,  but  he 
adds:  "Li  this  comparion"  (he  should  have  said,  metaphor)  "the 
apostle  might  possibly  intend  to  denote  their  levity  and  incon- 
stancy, as  well  as  their  hypocrisy  —  they  were  carried  about 
with  every  wind  of  doctrine." 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  17.  173 

These  interpretations  arc  plausable,  but  olijectionable ;  for  thus 
a  tautology  is  introduced,  wliich  should  ncA-er  be  done  witliout 
necessity :  "  Wells  without  Avater,"  and  "  clouds  by  a  tempest 
driven,"  express  thus  precisely  the  same  thing.  The  modes  of 
explanation  above  exhibited  are  liable  to  another  grave  objection, 
viz:  they  are  not  interpretations  of  Peter'' s  word  at  all,  but  only 
of  JucWs,  who  has  "  Clouds  without  water ;"  i.  e.,  they  are  spe- 
cious but  useless  as  teachers,  like  waterless  clouds  which  add 
nothing  to  the  earth's  fertility.  But  this  thought  Peter  ex- 
presses by  "  Wells  without  Avater."  And  that  Jude  does  not 
confine  himself  to  Peter's  expressions  in  his  description  of  the 
false  teachers,  is  certain :  "  These  are  breakers  in  your  love-feasts, 
feeding  themselves  while  feasting  fearlessly  with  you  ;  clouds 
without  xoater  borne  on  by  winds  ;  trees  leafless,  unfruitful,  twice- 
dead,  uprooted ;  wild  waves  of  the  sea  foaming  up  their  own  in- 
decencies ;  wandering  stars,  for  whom  the  blackness  of  everlast- 
ing darkness  is  keptP  12, 13  vs.  We  are  not  satisfied,  therefore, 
with  the  ordinarj'-  explanations,  and  chiefly  because  they  are  not 
expositions  of  the  clause  before  us ;  for  Peter  does  not  say, 
"Clouds  without  water,"  but  "Clouds." 

As  already  said,  "  Clouds  by  a  tempest  driven  "  mean  clouds 
under  the  control  of  the  stormy  wind  ;  and  the  metaphor,  in  our 
judgment,  must  be  thus  explained:  'These  false  teachers  are 
weak  and  helpless  persons,  as  unable  to  escape  the  tempest  of  the 
Divine  indignation  as  clouds  to  resist  the  force  of  the  stormy 
Avind.'  Or,  '  As  clouds  are  mider  the  control  of  a  tempest,  so 
are  these  in  the  hands  of  the  Judge.  Their  inevitable  destruc- 
tion is  thus  set  forth  in  the  clearest  manner. 

I'hr  whom  the  blackness  of  everlasting  darkness  is  kept. 
"Blackness  of  darkness  "=the  thickest  or  most  dense  darkness  : 
6  l^i'xpoq  TOO  (TyMrou<;.  (See  Iliad  15:  191  ;  Odys.  21 :  57.)  It  de- 
notes the  severest  punishment,  or  a  most  miserable  state  of 
anguish.  '  These  false  teachers  are  persons  for  whom  the  severest 
punishment  is  reserved.'     Sometimes  the  future  condition  of  the 


174  CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  17. 

lost  is  figuratively  repi'esented  by  "  fire,"  sometimes  by  "  dark- 
ness ;"  Matt.  25  :  30,  41 ;  explained  by  Christ,  as  meaning  "pun- 
ishment," Matt.  25  :  46.  There  is  a  metononiy  and  a  metaphor 
mingled  or  combined  in  the  expression,  The  Gloom  of  Darkness, 
or  the  blackness  of  darkness.  The  metaphor  has  been  already 
explained  to  mean  the  severest  misery,  caused  by  sin ;  (see  on 
4th  verse,)  a  state  in  which  there  is  no  light  or  gladness,  (Ps. 
97:  11,)  but  dense  darkness  or  sorrow  only,  unmixed  with  joy. 
"  Tlie  blackness  of  darkness  "  is  put,  by  metonomy,  for  the  phice 
where  such  darkness  reigns ;  the  allusion  being  to  Tartarus,  or 
Hell,  mentioned  in  the  fourth  verse.  Thus,  in  substance,  Benson 
and  Bloomfield  interpret,  but  without  analysing  the  figures. 
That  there  is  such  a  metonomy  in  the  expression,  is  evident  from 
the  verb  "is  kept,"  rezrjprjrm.  'The  prison  in  Avhich  there  is  the 
thickest  darkness  is  reserved  for  these  false  teachers  ;  or  it  is  se- 
cured, safely  kept  for  such.'  (Compare  rs-i^ py]fiiwr]'^,  1  Pet.  1  :  4. 
See  also  Jude,  6  v.) 

"  The  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever  is  kept''''=  the  blackness 
of  everlasting  darkness :  eta  aiiUva  to  eternity,  for  ever,  or  ever- 
lasting. (Compare  what  we  have  said  on  13  v.)  The  Creator 
and  Judge  of  fallen  men  and  angels  will  not  annihilate  any  soul 
or  spirit,  and  the  moral  corruption  of  the  lost  cannot,  from  the 
very  nature  of  the  thing,  be  improved  in  a  place  and  state  of 
unspeakable  anguish:  "in  their  corruption  they  shall  be  destroyed, 
receiving  the  wages  of  unrighteousness,"  12,  13  vs.  Besides,  God 
has  no  where  promised  regeneration  or  restoration  to  the  lost  in 
hell.  On  the  contrary,  we  are  expressly  told  that  it  will  be 
"everlasting  punishment:"  lasting  as  long  as  the  immortal  soul 
and  indestructible  body  endure  :  lasting  for  ever  from  the  epoch 
of  Christ's  coming  as  Judge,  Mark  9  :  48,  49 ;  Matt.  10 :  28  ;  25  : 
46,  with  31  V. ;  2  Thess.  1  :  9.  And  they  are  false  teachers,  who 
deny  it. 

The  sense  of  this  verse  then,  may  be  thus  expressed :  *  These 
men  are  wells  without  water,  or  ostentatious  hypocrites,  destitute 


CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  11.  I75  , 

of  the  true  knowledge  of  the  gospel  and  the  holiness  which  it 
requires,  but  they  must  not  expect  to  escape  from  the  hands  of 
the  Almighty  and  just  Judge  any  more  than  clouds  can  resist 
the  force  of  a  tempest ;  and  indeed  all  such  expectations  arc 
vain,  since  hell,  a  place  and  state  of  the  most  dreadful  punish- 
ment, is  prepared  for  them,  where  they  will  for  ever  sufler,  as  their 
sins  deserve.' 

A.  B.  C.  have  xai  oin/Xac,  "  and  mists  y"  but  this  does  not  materi- 
ally change  the  thought,  for  they  are  as  much  imder  the  control 
of  a  tempest  as  "  clouds ;"  which  last  word,  vi<ftlat.,  is  found  in  G. 
and  Syriac  version.  The  word  found  in  the  Vulgate,  Nebula\  is 
ambiguous  ;  for  although  it  literally  means  '  mists,'  yet  it  is  used ' 
by  Latin  poets  in  the  sense  of '  clouds.'  Elq  am^m  is  omitted  by 
B.  the  Viilgate,  and  Syriac  version  ;  but  these  words  (/"or  ever, 
or  everlasting)  are  found  in  A.  C.  G.  Tischendorf  and  Lach- 
mann,  therefore  had  no  right  to  expel  them  from  the  text.  Gries- 
bach,  Bloomfield  and  Hahn  retain  them.  Besides,  they  all  agree 
in  editing  them,  Jude,  13  v. 

It  thus  appears,  that  the  external  evidence  is  by  no  means  suf- 
ficient to  prove  that  these  words  are  interpolated;  and  their 
genuineness  is  further  confirmed  by  internal  evidence.  The  apos- 
tle is  by  no  means  incoherent  and  confused  in  his  description  of 
the  false  teachers,  as  Davidson  and  others  assume.  On  the  con- 
trary, as  appears  from  the  exposition  given  of  the  preceding 
])Ortion  of  this  chapter,  he  is  unquestionably  cohei'ent  and  i)er- 
spicuous.  The  first  three  verses  form  what  may  be  called,  the 
text  of  his  prophetical  discourse  ;  or  they  contain  the  luain  pro- 
positions of  Avhich  he,  in  the  rest  of  the  chapter,  speaks  more 
copiously.  The  characteristics  of  the  false  teachers  as  deniers  of 
the  sovereignty  of  their  professed  Redeemer ;  their  lasciviousness 
and  covetousness,  with  their  success  in  gaining  disciples  and  imi- 
tators, and  the  swiftness  and  certainty  of  the  punishment  of  both, 
as  well  as  its  justice,  ("/yr^/^^/y^^o^^  Mez/JS^/wes  swift  destruction,") 
are  all  briefly  stated  in  these  verses.    (Their  contempt  of  govern- 


•  176  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  18. 

ment  and  reviling  of  dignities  is  the  only  characteristic  feature 
not  mentioned  in  1-3  vs.,  but  in  10  v.)  From  the  fourth  to  the 
end  of  the  first  part  of  the  tenth  verse,  the  apostle  proves  the 
certainty  of  the  punishment  of  the  unrighteous  and  especially  of 
their  false  teachers,  when  the  judge  shall  have  come,  and  the  certain- 
ty of  the  deliverance  of  the  pious  from  a  state  of  trial  at  the  same 
great  day.  Then  to  the  seventeenth  verse,  he  gives  a  more  par- 
ticular description  of  these  false  teachers,  repeating^  as  he  pro- 
ceeds, the  certainty  of  their  punishment  and  illustrating  its 
justice.  Some  of  these  "blind  guides,"  he  tells  us,  shall  be  dis- 
tinguished as  insolent  and  fool-hardy  anarchists  ;  others,  as  clerical 
epicureans ;  others,  as  in  fact  teachers  and  workers  of  lasciviousness 
under  saintly  masks  ;  others,  as  covetous  imitators  of  Balaam, 
and,  that  all  of  them  deserve  the  punishment  to  which  they  are 
doomed  because  of  their  heinous  transgressions,  10-16  vs.  The 
ajjostle  therefore,  does  not  wander  from  his  prophetical  text,  but 
clearly  proves  and  illustrates  it.  Now,  to  assume  that  ?£'?  fdwva 
is  interpolated,  is  at  the  same  time  to  take  for  granted  that  18-22 
vs.  contain  nothing  but  what  has  been  already  copiously  stated 
and  illustrated:  it  is  to  make  the  apostle  tautological,  simj^ly  be- 
cause loe  do  not  happen  to  understand  his  scope  in  these  conclud- 
ing verses  ;  which  certainly  is  no  proof  of  skill  and  accuracy  in 
biblical  criticism.  The  aim  of  the  apostle  in  this  concluding 
portion  of  his  j)rophetical  discourse  is,  to  shoxo  the  justice  of  the 
everlasting  duration  of  the  punishment  of  false  teachers  and 
their  followers.  Their  punishment  will  not  only  be  certain,  but 
inevitable  when  Christ  comes;  not  only  just,  but  everlasting :  and 
such  punishment  is  richly  deserved. 

V.  1 8.  For  by  uttering  great  swelling  icords  of  vanity^  in  con- 
sequence of  carnal  lusts  ^  they  insnare  with  lascivious  arts  those 
who  had  for  a  little  while  fled  from  them  who  %ocdh  in  error. 
The  apostle,  as  just  said,  is  showing  the  justice  of  the  everlasting 
punishment  of  false  teachers.  Everlasting  misery  in  hell  is  re- 
served for   such,  first^  because  they  are  preetninent  hypocrites., 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  18.  177 

making  great  professions  of  truth  and  lioliness  Avliile  in  fact  des- 
titute of  both ;  or  because  they  are  wells  without  water,  and 
know  it,  while  pretending  to  be  filled  to  the  brim,  1 7  v.  Secondly, 
endless  misery  is  reserved  for  them,  because,  by  pi'omulgating 
known  falsehood  and  hy  lyromising  impunity^  they  tempt  and 
lead  to  licentiousness  and  apostacy  those  professors  who  had  fled 
for  a  time  from  the  gross  wickedness  of  their  former  associates, 
18,  19  vs.  Thirdly,  because  by  thus  turning  their  hacJcs  on  the 
knoion  requirements  of  the  gospel,  and  enticing  others  to  do  the 
same,  they  bring  themselves  and  those  whom  they  had  led  astray 
into  an  incurable  state  and  habit  of  moral  corruption,  worse 
than  that  before  their  profession  ;  thus  preparing  themselves  and 
others  for  "  everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  power,"  22-22  vs. 

JBut  uttering  great  sicelUng  ivords  of  vanity :  uTzipoy/.a  /xarato- 
TjjToc,  literally,  "  over-bulky  words  of  vanity."  Compare  XAIY". 
Dan.  11:  36;  Jude,  16  v.  Thus  their  inflated  expressions  or 
bombastic  style  is  denoted,  as  well  as  their  magisterial  air ;  utter- 
ing ore  rotundo, 

"  Words  of  learned  length  and  thundering  sound, 
To  make  the  gaping  rustics  stare  around." 

Horace :  Projicit  ampullas  et  sesquipedalia  verba.  It  is  always 
ridiculous  pride  that  impels  any  speaker  or  writer  to  adopt  such 
a  style ;  and  when  a  professed  teacher  of  Christianity  makes  it 
his  OAvn,  it  is  a  sure  indication  of  arrogance  towards  men,  and  ir- 
revence  toAvards  God.  To  "  play  such  paltry  tricks  before  high 
heaven,"  can  demonstrate  only  the  sin  and  folly  of  the  perform- 
ers. Besides,  these  "  great  swelling  words,"  are  defined  as  to 
their  subject-matter  by  the  genitive  following :  great  swelling 
words  of  vanity,  fjLarato-rjro^.  The  word  rendered  vanity  means 
literally  emj^tiness,  idleness,  and  hence  denotes  any  thing  that  is 
unprofitable,  or  useless  for  good.  In  Eph.  4:17,  the  same  noun 
is  used:  "As  the  rest  of  the  Gentiles  walk,  ^V^^Ae  vanity  of  their 
mind,  darkened  as  to  the  understanding,  being  alienated  from 
12 


178  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  18. 

the  life  of  God,  through  the  ignorance  that  is  in  tliem  on  account 
of  the  hardness  of  their  hearts  ;  who  being  past  feeling,"  etc.,  18, 
19,  20  vs.  Here  Paul  defines  the  vanity  or  emptiness  spoken  of 
as  pertaining  to  the  mind,  and  then  states  that  their  mind  is 
empty,  or  useless  for  good,  inasmuch  as_  their  understanding  is 
darkened  "v^^ith  respect  to  the  true  way  of  salvation,  and  their  hearts 
estranged  from  the  holiness  required  by  God ;  and,  moreover, 
that  their  ignorance  of  truth  is  caused  by  their  love  of  sin.  Paul 
and  Peter  then  agree  in  this,  that  men  are  wells  without  water, 
when  destitute  of  holiness  and  truth — this  is  that  vanity  which 
is  peculiar  to  unrenewed  men,  1  Cor.  3  :  20.  "  The  Lord  knows 
the  tlioughts  (or  reasonings)  of  the  wise,"  (those  who  falsely 
claim  to  be  pliilosophers  or  scientific  theologians,)  "that  they  are 
vain  f  which  must  mean  that  tliey  are/afoe,  or  truthless,  Rom. 
1  :  21.  "Because  when  they  knew  God,  they  glorified  him  not 
as  God,  neither  Avere  thankful,  but  hecame  vain  in  their  reason- 
ings^^'' etc.,  i.  e.,  "  found  no  end  in  wandering  mazes  lost ;"  be- 
cause they  did  not  adhere  to  the  truth  they  knew,  their  minds 
became  so  perverted  and  foolish  as  to  embrace  falsehood  or 
error. 

Great  sicelling  loorcls  of  vanity,  then  mean  high-sounding  in- 
flated expressions  conveying  falsehood,  or  erroneous  doctrines 
pompously  uttered.  Vanity  also,  by  implication  means  wicked- 
ness ;  for  to  speak  known  falsehood  or  error  is  sin,  and  especially 
when  done  to  entice  professors  to  licentiousness  and  apostacy. 

The  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever  is  kept  for  these  false 
teachers,  for  they  insnare  those  xoho  had  for  a  little  vjJiile  fed 
from  them  that  loalk  in  error  /  i.  e.,  because  they  entice  and  lead 
to  apostacy  those  persons  who  for  a  time  acknowledged  Christ, 
and  so  escaped  from  their  former  associates  who  live  in  falsehood 
and  sin.  But  how  do  they  thus  tempt  or  insnare  them  ?  "  By 
speaking  great  swelling  xoords  of  vanity  /  hy  promising  them 
freedom  f  (19  v.,)  and  hy  those  lascivious  arts  in  Avhich  they  are 
adepts.    (The  verb  "  insnare,"  entice  or  seduce,  expresses   the 


CHAPTER  IL,  YER.  19.  179 

action  attributed  to  the  false  teachers  ;  the  participles,  "  uttering" 
and  "promising,"  with  the  noiin  in  the  dative,  indicate  the 
maimer  in  which  it  is  effected.)  TFAy  do  they  succeed  in  their 
temptations  ?  "  In  consequence  of  carnal  lusts,''''  or  because  of 
the  bodily  appetites  prevailing  in  the  unsteady  persons  they 
entice.  Compare  14  v.;  2  Tim.  3:  6.  We  punctuate  thus: 
de^sd!^oufTiv,  ^i/  ^-tOu;uat^  trapxo^,  d(TsXyeiai':  rob':  okiywq — :  which  we 
think  more  perspicuous  and  accurate  than  to  make  aazXys^iaiq  in 
apposition  with  the  phrase  immediately  preceding,  as  is  done  by 
our  ti'anslatoi's.  The  plural,  dffsXysca:^,  is  used  to  denote  their 
vaiious  stratagems,  or  the  lascivious  methods  used  in  insnaring 
unestablished  souls.  The  adverb  o/;y<y(?=is  equivalent  to  oXcyov, 
(1  Pet.  5:  10,)  a  little  while  ;  where  it  is  contrasted  with  alwAov^ 
'everlasting.'  Compare  1  Pet.  1:  6.  'But  a  little,'  in  a  slight 
degree,  not  yet  fully,  as  others  explain,  seems  not  to  be  correct ; 
for,  as  Bengel  justly  remarks,  "the  compound  verb  d-owtuys.f.v 
(without  ovTwi?)  denotes  those  who  truly  escape,"  20  v.,  1,  4, 

OXiyu)(;^  A.  B.  Vulgate,  and  Syriac  version :  Jerome,  Augustine, 
Bede.  (Four  manuscripts  have  oXtyov.)  Ovrw?,  C.  G.  K.  Tlieop- 
lylact,  Q^cumenius.  But  the  remark  just  made  concerning 
azoftvystv  shows  that  the  various  readings  make  no  difference 
whatever  in  the  sense. 

V.  19.  [And]  by  promising  thetn  freedom:  this  clause  must 
be  connected  with  the  preceding  verse.  They  insnare  or  seduce 
by  uttering  great  swelling  words  of  vanity,  and  they  insnare  by 
promising  them  freedom.  These  false  teachers,  while  laying 
their  baits  to  insnare  unestablished  souls,  promise  freedom  to 
them  indirectly,  and  directly.  They,  in  high-flying  Avords  of  error 
and  wickedness,  intimate  that  freedom  consists  in  living  as  one 
pleases  ;  in  gratifying  to  the  full  any  natural  desire  or  appetite  ; 
but  hinting  that  truth  and  error,  sin  and  holiness,  the  devil  and 
his  temptations,  are  all  dreams  or  pure  imaginations  of  supersti- 
tious men ;  and  when  these  poisoned  baits  are  taken,  or  some  of 
them,  then  they  directly  assert  that  IIclI  exists  only  in  the  lancy 


180  CHAPTER  II.,  YER.  19. 

of  melancholy  men  ;  thus  making  God  a  liar.  Some  Pantheistic 
wretches  in  all  ages  have  gone  still  farther,  and  blasphemously 
asserted  that,  since  God  himself  works  all  in  all,  to  commit  sin  is- 
impossible.  As  if  God  were  not  Light,  but  Darkness  ;  as  if  God 
himself  were  the  only  sinner  I  Freedovi  from  everlasting  pmi- 
ishment  in  Jiell,  is  what  false  teacliers  assert ;  ancl  hence  full 
permission  exists,  for  living  as  one's  lusts  dictate  when  on  earth. 
"  These  are  clouds  by  a  tempest  driven,  for  whom  the  gloom  of 
everlasting  darkness  is  kept." 

Calvin's  treaties  written  against  the  "  Spiritual  Libertines  "  of 
his  day,  is  the  best  exposition'  of  this  verse.  They  called  them- 
selves "  Spiritual  Freedmen,"  in  the  sense  before  explained. 
They  were  gross  Pantheists,  exceedingly  immoral,  and  made  sin 
and  the  devil  the  subjects  of  their  witticisms :  their  doctrinal 
tenets  may  be  briefly  defined  by  this  exjDression,  Pantheistic 
Universalists.  They  had  "the  bad  eminence"  of  being  justly 
styled  "Free-Livers  "  and  "  Free-Lovers."  And,  amid  the  boasted 
light  of  this  century,  false  teachers  have  arisen  who,  to  make  men 
easy  in  their  sins,  assert  universal  salvation ;  some,  even  by 
calling  "  spirits  from  the  vasty  deep"  to  insnare  unestablished 
souls.  JSTecromancy  was  fashionable  with  many  in  the  time  of 
Moses,  and  is  not  yet,  it  seems,  out  of  date ;  but  when  men,  or 
so-called  disembodied  spirits  dare  to  give  the  lie  to  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  they  show  that  "  they  are  of  their  father  the  devil." 
"  Freedom  to  them  promising,  toJiile  they  themselves  are  the 
slaves  of  corruption  P  How  preposterous  for  those  enslaved  by 
divers  lusts,  some  of  them  bestial,  to  talk  about  Freedom,  in  any 
true  sense  of  that  much-abused  word !  How  can  they  Avho  teach 
the  ethics  of  Hell,  and  who  wallow  in  lust,  as  swine  in  mire,  be 
accredited  servants  of  the  Holy  One  ?  Such  promised  freedom — 
what  will  it  end  in,  but  everlasting  bondage  to  sin  and  woe  ? 
Compare  John  8 :  34  ;  Rom.  6  :  16.  If  we  are  overpowered  by  our 
evil  passions  here,  we  become  their  slaves ;  and  when  men  "  die 
'u\  their  sins,"  their  caj^tivity  to  their  evil  passions  is  everlasting. 


CIIArTER  IL,  VER.  20.  181 

V.  20.  For  if  after  they  have  fled  from  the  defilements  of  the 
tvorld  in  achioioledging  the  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christy  they 
are  again  entangled  by  these  and  overcome,  [tlien]  their  last  state 
becomes  loorse  than  theflrst.  From  this  verse  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter  the  apostle  shows  that  the  false  teachers  will  he  everlast- 
ingly punished,  because  by  disregarding  the  known  holy  require- 
ments of  the  gospel,  and  enticing  others  to  do  the  same,  they 
bring  themselves  and  their  followers  into  an  incurable  state  and 
habit  of  moral  corruption  ;  thus  prepai'ing  themselves  and  others 
for  endless  misery.     Compare  Rom.  9:22. 

The  false  teachers  and  their  followers  once  acknoxoledged  the 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ;  that  is,  they  acknowledged  him 
to  be  not  only  the  Saviour,  but  the  Lord,  whose  precepts  they 
were  bound  to  obey.  By  so  doing  they  demonstrated  that  their 
-consciences  had  been  awakened  to  a  sense  of  the  danger  of  their 
■\\'  ay  of  living  ;  and  they  accordingly  abandoned  their  gross  open 
transgressions,  or  fled  from  them  with  great  and  unfeigned  dread, 
as  they  would  have  done  from  persons  or  garments  defiled  with 
gome  contagious  disease.  But  they  Avere  again  entangled  and 
overcome  by  these  polluting  and  destructive  sins.  The  conse- 
quence of  which  apostacy  is,  that  their  last  state  becomes  xoorse 
than  the  first ;  or,  they  become  more  depraved  and  hardened 
than  before  their  profession  of  the  faith.  (The  apostle  here 
omits  the  sign  of  the  apodosis ;  it  must  be  supplied  in  the  man- 
ner mentioned  on  4  v.)  This  apostacy  is  also  woi'se  because  their 
love  of  polluting  sins  is  then  generally  incurable,  (compare  Heb. 
G  :  4-6,  and  10,  26-31,)  and  their  future  2)unishment  more  severe 
and  a\\^ul. 

Our  apostle  has  before  shown  that  a  confession  of  Christ  must 
be  followed,  not  simply  by  a  temporary  abstinence  from  these 
pollutions,  but  by  becoming  God-like  in  knowledge  and  holiness ; 
or,  by  constantly  advancing  in  the  cultivation  of  boldness,  faith, 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  gospel  and  prudence,  self-government, 
perseverance  and  patience,  piety  towards  God,  love  to  the  bretli- 


182  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  20. 

ren,  and  benevolence  practically  shown  to  men.  And  he  declares 
that  if  any  professor  is  destitute  of  these  virtues,  his  confession 
is  hypocritical  or  insincere.  1 :  4-9.  Now,  when  a  saint  or  re- 
newed person  is  garrisoned  in  God's  power,  through  faith,  for 
that  salvation  which  is  ready  to  he  revealed  when  Christ  comes 
again,  1  Pet.  1 :  3-5  ;  this  faith  works  in  the  manner  which  the 
apostle  describes  in  2  Pet.  1 :  5-7.  All  other  professors  are 
hypocritical  —  "  blind  eye-shutters,"  1  :  9.  Whitby  and  Benson 
therefore  might  have  spared  their  remarks  in  opposition  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  perseverance  of  the  saints.  Our  apostle  certainly 
teaches  this  doctrine,  but  he  teaches  it  so  that  it  can  never  be 
honestly  perverted  to  any  sinful  purposes.  1  Pet.  1 :  4  ;  2  Pet. 
1 :  5-10.  He  means  by  it  the  perseverance  or  steadfast  continuance 
of  the  saints  in  holiness ;  constant  growth  in  the  same  :  faith  be- 
ing the  instrumental  cause  of  this  growth,  and  God's  power, 
manifested  by  the  indwelling  operations  of  the  Good  Spirit,  the 
efficient  cause  of  such  perseverance.  Col.  3:3;  Phil.  1:  19; 
Eph.  3 :  16,  20.  And  the  doctrine  as  taught  in  the  creeds  of  the 
Reformed  Church  differs  in  no  respect  from  that  of  the  apostle. 
On  the  other  hand,  Peter  teaches  in  this  chapter  that  the  perse- 
verance of  sinners  in  error  and  sin  will  lead  to  everlasting 
destruction. 

The  defilements  of  the  v^orld^  or  the  crimes  which  especially 
defile  mankind,  are  idolatry,  covetousness,  drunkenness  and  un- 
cleanness.  Peter  here  especially  alludes  to  the  latter.  Comj^are 
1  Pet.  4  :  3  ;  2  Pet.  2 :  2  ;  5  :  10  ;  13-15,  18  ;  2  Pet.  1 :  4.  Com- 
pare LXX.  Gen.  34  :  13  ;  49  :  4  ;  Job.  31:11.  Benson  :  ^'•Miasma 
was  used  by  the  ancient  physicians  for  the  pestilential  infection 
of  the  plague,  which  spreads  insensibly  and  infects  many."  Peter 
thus  describes  the  sins  of  the  flesh  in  a  very  striking  manner, 
viz. :  "  the  miasmata  of  the  world."  And  Paley  justly  says : 
"  HoAvever  it  be  accounted  for,  the  criminal  commerce  of  the 
sexes  corrupts  and  depraves  the  mind  and  moral  character  more 
than  any  single  species  of  vice  whatsoever.  That  ready  preceptiou 


CHAPTER  II.,  YP:R.  21.  183 

of  guilt,  that  prompt  and  decisive  resolution  against  it,  which 
constitutes  a  virtuous  character,  is  seldom  found  in  persons  ad- 
dicted to  these  indulgencies.  They  prepare  an  easy  admission 
for  every  sin  that  seeks-  it ;  are  in  low  life,  usually  the  first  stage 
in  men's  progress  to  the  most  desperate  villanies ;  and  in  liigh 
life,  to  that  lamented  dissoluteness  of  princii)le,  which  manifests 
itself  in  a  j^rofligacy  of  public  conduct,  and  a  contempt  of  the 
obligations  of  religion  and  moral  probity." 

V.  21.  IBette)\  indeed^  had  it  been  for  them  not  to  have  acknoxcl- 
edged  the  way  of  righteousness,  than,  after  they  have  avknoicl- 
edged  it,  to  turn  atcay  from  the  holy  commandment  delivend  to 
them. 

J^etter,  indeed,  etc.  xpitTrovydp;  or,  "for  it  had  been  better," 
etc.  This  verse  gives  the  reason  why  the  last  state  of  those  who 
apostatize  and  return  to  their  former  defilements  is  worse  than 
the  first.  First,  because  they  sin  against  greater  light  or  knoxcl- 
edge,  and  thus  manifest  a  more  incorrigible  temper  than  before 
their  confession.  When  "  they  acknoxoledged  the  icay  of  right- 
eousness,^'' their  understanding  and  conscience  were  in  some 
degree  aroused ;  they  assented  to  the  excellency  and  reasonable- 
ness of  that  holy  way ;  and  they  made  a  public  declaration  of 
their  belief  in  the  divine  origin  of  Christianity,  expressing  at  the 
same  time,  a  willingness  to  make  its  holy  precepts"  the  rule  of  their 
life,  as  well  as  its  promises  the  basis  of  their  anticipations  of  pres- 
ent peace  and  future  bliss.  To  return  to  their  old  filthy  sins  after 
such  a  knowledge  and  confessioru,  was  a  crime  indeed.  Secondly, 
because  by  thus  turning  their  backs  on  the  command  requiring  holi- 
ness, they  manifested  greater  irreverence  towards  God,  ingratitude 
to  Christ  for  light  received  as  to  the  way  of  salvation  ;  and  an 
insatiable  liking  to  the  vilest  sins — thus  "  doing  despite  to  the 
spirit  of  grace."  Such  will  justly  receive  most  severe  and  ever- 
lasting punishment  inasmuch  as  they  are  persons  Avho,  with  both 
eyes  open  and  from  a  pure  love  of  sinning,  perseveringly  and 
shamelessly  rebel  against  God,  Heb.  10 :  29  ;  Luke  12  :  47. 


184  CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  22. 

Eruarpiyai  ly.=to  turn  aiooy  from,  turn  the  back  upon  ;  G.  K: 
fiTzo,  A.,  but  for  £z,  B.  C.  G.  K.  ;  eta  xa  o-iaio  o-n<rpeil'ai  was  proba- 
bly a  marginal  explanation,  A.  Vulgate.  (Tiscliendorf  adopts 
the  common  text ;  Lachmann,  the  reading  last  mentioned.) 

V.  22.  Hut  that  lohich  is  sipiijied  hy  the  true  ^yroverh  has 
overtaken  them :  The  dog  has  gone  hack  to  his  own  vomit ;  and^ 
the  sow  that  teas  tcashed,  to  her  loallovnng  in  the  mire. 

Tliat  which  is  signified  by  the  true  proverb,  to  r^c  aXrjOouq  izap- 
otfuaz,  literally,  "  the  of  the  true  provei'b ;"  it  is  the  article  demon- 
strative, equivalent  to  "  that  of  the  true  proverb,"  or  that  Avhich 
is  meant  by  it,  the  thing  of  which  the  proverb  is  a  true  descrip- 
tion. That  which  is  intended  by  the  proverb  is  true  in  their 
case ;  or  it  has  overtaken  them,  or  met  toith  them,  avii^i^r^y.z  3k 
auTocz.  By  which  is  meant,  not  simply  that  "  it  has  happened 
to  them,"  but  that  it  has  befallen  them  as  a  calamity  or  punish- 
ment. (Compare  1  Pet.  4:  12.  "As  if  something  strange  were 
overtaking  you,"  i.  e.,  as  if  some  strange  punishment  had  started, 
and  was  on  the  way  to  meet  you,  w?  Bivou  uiuv  <ju/j.l3a{vfr^T(K.)  The 
persecution  to  which  believers  were  exposed  is  called  by  Peter,  in 
his  first  epistle,  "the judgment,"  to  xpcp-a,  or  punishment  allotted 
to  them  in  this  world,  under  the  controlling  providence  of  God, 
for  their  sins,  1  Pet.  4:  IV.  "Because  it  is  the  season  of  the  be- 
ginning of  the  judgment  from  the  house  of  God,"  the  appointed 
and  fit  time  for  a  punishment  like  this  to  be  inflicted  first  of  all 
on  God's  family  ;  "  but  if  first  from  ns,  what  shall  be  the  end  of 
them  who  disobey  the  gospel  of  God  ?  "  What,  their  final  con- 
dition, who  rebel  against  the  gospel  ?  If  then  we  were  to  supply 
thus,  TO  [xpi/jLo]  TYjc,  etc.,  it  would  not  be  repugnant  to  the  apos- 
tle's style  and  mode  of  thinking :  ""But  the  [judgment]  signified 
by  the  true  proverb  has  met  with  them  ;"  that  is,  the  punishment 
to  which  God  often  abandons  vile  sinners  in  this  world  has  ovei'- 
taken  them,  (comp.  2 :  3,)  they  are  joined  to  their  sins  as  idols, 
and  their  punishment  in  this  world,  after  their  apostacy,  consists 
in  this  judicial  abandonment,  or  in  being  left  to  themselves  "  to 


CHAPTER  II.,  VER.  22.  185 

work  micloanness  with  greediness."     See  Henderson  on  Hos,  4 : 

17,  and  compare  Ezek.  20:  39  ;  Rom.  1 :  24-28.  When  men  are 
thus  left  to  themselves,  they  become  more  and  more  corrupt,  and 
ripe  for  everlasting  punishment,  and  so  their  last  state  is  worse 
than  their  first. 

The  dog  has  gone  hack  to  his  oion  vomit :  xtiwv,  the  article  is 
omitted,  because  the  style  of  proverbs  is  emphatically  concise  and 
compacted.  (The  poetical  and  prophetical  style  has  the  same  pe- 
culiarity. See  2 :  9 ;  3  :  7  ;  s\q  i^iiipav  y.piasiuq.)  Peter  alludes  to 
Prov.  26:  11,  according  to  the  Hebrews,  "A  fool  repeating  in 
his  folly,"  (repeating  and  persisting  in  it)  "is  like  the  dog  that 
goes  back"  [to  feed]  "upon  his  vomit."  And  so  the  apostle : 
"The  dog  has  gone  back"  [to  feed]  "upon  his  own  vomit,"  l-ru 
Tu  Idiov  iHpo-tia:  this  last  word  is  a  rare  one,  though  the  cognate 
verb  is  used  by  the  ancient  physicians.  (Benson  and  T.  Smith.) 
Peter  cites  from  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon,  (1  Pet.  4  :  8,)  (and  4  : 

18,  ace.  to  LXX.)  The  other  proverb,  "the  washed  sow  "  [has 
gone  back]  "  to  her  walloAving  in  the  mire,"  Avas  probably  one  in 
common  use :  and  the  apostle  emj^loys  both  to  intimate  that  he 
refers  both  to  the  false  teachers  and  their  dupes,  or  to  the  se- 
ducers and  the  seduced.  'As  the  dog  returns  to  his  vomit  and 
the  sow  to  her  filthy  wallowing,  so  these,  to  their  old  sins  or 
former  polluting  vices.'  Impenitent  and  shameless  sinners  with 
their  leaders  in  the  Satanic  school,  are  here  denoted  by  dogs  and 
swine ;  not  men  that  were  once  truly  renewed.  Compare  Isa. 
50 :  10-12  ;  Matt.  7:6;  Phil.  3:2;  Rev.  22  :  15  ;  Deut.  23 :  18. 

Thus  the  apostle,  in  this  chapter,  has  foretold  the  rise  and 
continuance  of  fiilse  teachers  in  the  Christian  church  down  to 
Christ's  second  coming,  just  as  false  prophets  appeared  in  the 
Jewish  church  until  his  first  advent:  he  has  graphically  por- 
trayed their  characteristics,  predicted  their  success,  the  certainty 
of  their  puni.shraent,  together  with  their  disciples  and  imitators ; 
he  has  proved  and  illustrated  its  justice  and  its  everlasting  dura- 
tion: and   he  has   also  declared  that  the  righteous  will  be  de- 


186  CHAPTER  IL,  YER.  22. 

livered  from  trial ;  and  that  these  things  shall  occur  at  the  day 
of  judgment,  or  when  Christ  has  come  the  second  time  to  our 
world  as  Judge. 

In  favor  of  (Tu;il3£,3rf/.sv  aoroiq  are  A.  B. :  but  C.  G.  K.  have  in 
addition,  ds  :  y.ult.aixo'j^  B.  C*  y.ohff/j.a  A.  G.  K. 


CHAPTER  II r.  IS 7 


CHAPTER  III. 


'Beloved,  this  is  already  the  second  epistle  I  am  writing  to 
yon,  in  both  of  "which  I  awaken  by  admonition  your  pure  mind, 
"in  order  that  ye  may  be  reminded  of  the  things  foretold  by  the 
holy  prophets  and  the  commandment  of  your  apostles  of  tlie 
Loi-d  and  Saviour ;  ^knowing  this  first,  that  there  shall  come  in 
tlie  last  of  the  days  scoffers  with  scoffing,  walking  according  to 
their  own  lusts,  ^ind  saying :  '  Where  is  the  promise  of  his  com- 
ing ?  for  since  the  fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things  continue  precisely 
as  from  the  beginning  of  creation.'  Tor  this  they  are  willingly 
ignorant  of,  that  the  heavens  were  of  old  and  the  earth  of  water 
and  by  water  constituted  by  the  Avord  of  God ;  "whereby  (or, 
by  which)  the  then  world,  deluged  Avith  water,  was  destroyed. 
'But  the  new  heavens  and  earth  by  his  Avord  are  stored  up,  kept 
for  fire  at  the  day  of  judgment  and  perdition  of  these  ungodly 
men.  *But  beloved,  be  not  ye  ignorant  of  this  one  thing,  that 
one  day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  tliousand 
years  as  one  day.  'Tlie  promised  Lord  delays  not,  as  some  think 
it  a  delay  ;  but  is  longsuffering  toAvards  you,  not  Avilling  that 
any  be  destroyed,  but  that  all  come  to  repentance. 

Some  suppose  that  the  scoffers  Avhose  appearance  is  here  fore- 
told, do  not  differ  from  the  false  teachers  dej^icted  in  the  preced- 
ing chapter ;  or,  if  they  do,  it  is  only  in  the  habitual  sneering 
manner  in  Avhich  they  deny  our  Lord's  coming  as  The  Judge.  But 
this,  in  our  judgment,  is  a  mistaken  opinion ;  for  the  false  teachers 
are  represented  as  acknoAvledging  Christ  to  be  their  Redeemer, 
but  denying  him  to  be  Lord  or  Sovereign ;  denying  his  second 
coming  as  Jitdge  of  the  wicked,  but  asserting  that  he  Avill  come  to 
save  all  men  Avithout  exception  and  Avithout  distinction.  Whereas 
the  scoffers  deny  his  coming  altogether,  pronounce  it  a  mere 
fable,  and  ridicule  it  as  such.  The  transition  from  the  pulpit  of 
the  false  teacher  to  the  chair  of  the  scorner  is  indeed  easy,  and 
many  have  gone  and  still  go  from  one  to  tlie  other  ;  nevertheless 
tlie  heretical  pulpit  and  the  scorner's  chair  are  not  precisely  the 
same.  The  apostle  predicts  here  the  rise  of  infidels,  skeptics,  or 
deists ;  and  many  such  have  been  and  are  apostates,  but  not  all ; 


188  CHAPTER  III,  YER.  1. 

the  appearance,  then,  of  infidels,  whether  arising  within  the  visi- 
ble church  or  outside  of  it,  is  here  predicted. 

V.  1.  Beloved,  this  is  already  the  second  epistle  I  am  writing 
to  you,  in  both  of  lohich  I  aicaken  by  admonition  your  pure 
mind:  The  position  of  r^d-r)  (now  already,)  seems  to  intimate 
that  but  a  short  time  had  elapsed  since  the  writing  of  the  first 
epistle,  rayrjjv  ^7^77,  etc.  "  This  is  already  the  second  letter  which 
I  am  writing  to  you."  You  may  think  it  very  soon  after  the  first 
was  sent,  but  there  is  need  of  reminding  you,  etc.,  (2  v.)  The 
apostles  wrote  comparatively  little  and  seldom,  but  what  they 
have  written  is  like  silver  seven  times  purified ;  and  of  the  highest 
authority,  since  they  wrote  as  Christ's  legates  and  by  his  Spirit. 
He  therefore  Avho  despises  their  writings,  flings  contempt  on  the 
Master  who  appointed  and  qualified  them  for  their  work  as  in- 
fallible teachers  of  the  way  of  life,  1 :  3,  4 ;  1  Thess.  4  :  8 ;  1 
John  4 :  6. 

This  second  epistle:  Here  there  is  an  allusion  to  1  Pet.  5  :  12. 
"  Testifying  that  this  [ej^istle]  is  the  true  Grace  of  God,"  or  ex- 
hibits an  outline  of  the  genuine  imadulterated  gospel,  agreeing 
with  what  Paul,  and  his  assistants  taught  you.  This  is  what  Paley 
would  call  "an  imdesigned  coincidence,"  one  perfectly  natural 
in  the  author  of  both  epistles  ;  a  coincidence  arising  spontaneous- 
ly, or  without  premeditation  ;  and  therefore,  with  others,  a  highly 
satisfactory  proof  of  the  authenticity  of  this  letter. 

In  both  of  tohich,  h  aT<r,  (  sc,  l-iaroXaiz^j  Bengel :  Syllepsis, 
^.  e.,  in  qua,  ut  in  priore,  in  which,  as  in  the  former.  I  awaken 
by  admonition  your  pure  mind  ;  I  excite  your  minds  by  powerful 
motives  as  to  your  duty ;  not  supposing  that  you  are  ignorant 
of  it,  or  that  I  will  be  unsuccessful,  since  your  mind  is  pure : 
elXupivyj  dtdvoiav,  a  mind  or  disposition  examined  by  the  sun's 
light ;  hence,  a  mind  pure,  tested,  foimd  genuine,  uncontaminated, 
well-disposed  or  ingenuous.  Bengel:  sinceram,  nullo  errore 
adulteratam.  Compare  1 :  12,  13.  As  to  Strboca,  in  the  sense 
here  used,  (see  Ej^h.  2:3;  Col.  1:21;  and  compare  1  Pet.  1 :  13.) 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  2.  189 

Tlie  adjective  eUcxpc^rj:;  is  used  by  Pnul,  (Phil.  1 :   10,)  and  the 
kindred  noun,  (1  Cor.  5 :  8  ;  2  Cor.  1:12,  and  2 :  17.) 

V.  2.  In  order  thai  ye  may  he  reminded  of  the  tidnys  foretold 
by  the  holy  lyroi^hets^  and  the  coinmandment  of  yoxir  apo8tles^  of 
the  Lord  and  Saviour. 

T7ie  things  foretold  by  the  holy  prophets  relates  especially  to 
Christ's  first  coming  in  a  lowly  state  as  Prophet  and  Priest,  and  to 
his  second  coming  in  power  and  glory  as  King  and  Judge. 
Schafl"  calls  Peter  "  the  apostle  of  hope,"  and  rightly ;  because  in 
his  first  epistle  one  important  design  is  to  animate  believers  under 
sorrows  and  persecutions  by  the  great  reward  which  they  will 
obtain  when  their  chief  pastor  or  ruler  has  come  ;  1  Pet.  1 :  5-1 1 ; 
13  V.  Avith  3:7;  4  :  12,  13  ;  5:1;  4  :  10.  (Also,  to  show  the 
doom  of  the  ungodly  and  persecutors  at  the  same  great  day,  4 : 
3-5;  17:  18.)  Peter  therefore,  emphatically  proclaims  hope  to 
the  pious  at  Christ's  advent — but  destruction  to  the  wicked.  And 
this  corresponds  exactly  with  what  we  find  in  his  second  epistle ; 
which  is  no  flimsy  proof  of  its  genuineness.  Prophets  are  called 
holy.,  because  consecrated  to  God's  service  as  his  interpreters,  as 
in  1  :  21.  The  tJ tiny s  foretold  by  the  holy  prophets,  rwv  r.poei- 
()7jrj.i'yi0'^  p7]!J.dzwv,  etc.  To  translate  this,  "i'Ae  loords  which  were 
spoken  before  by  the  holy  prophets,"  is  introducing  a  needless 
tautology ;  for  nyja,  like  the  Hebrew,  Dabar,  means  a  thirty, 
(Luke  1 :  37  ;  2  :  15  ;  Acts  5  :  32,)  where  Peter  is  the  speaker ; 
and  so  it  must  be  understood  here,  and  in  Jude,  1 7  v.  Things 
must  be  foretold  by  Avritten  words,  else  they  could  not  be  fore- 
told at  all,  words  would  be  signs  of  certain  sounds  only. 

And  the  commandment,  etc. ;  by  this  expression  Peter  refers 
to  2  :  21.  Compare  1 :  3-12.  It  is  the  command  or  precept  of  the 
apostles  of  Christ,  demanding  holiness  as  the  proof  of  their  faith  in 
Jesus  our  Lord,  or  as  a  criterion  of  the  sincerity  of  their  professed 
faith  in  him  ;  and  as  necessary  to  share  in  the  employments  and  en- 
joyments of  his  everlasting  kingdom.  Your  ajiostles,  that  is,  apos- 
tles who  have  taught  you  tlie  true  gosjicl,  1  Pet.  5:12.  He  refers 


190  CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  2. 

particularly  to  himself  and  his  beloved  brother  Paul,  (3  :  15;)  for 
Paul  taught  the  churches  in  Asia  Minor  both  orally  and  by  writ- 
ing ;  Peter,  by  his  pen  only.  They  both  treat  of  Christ's  second 
coming  with  power  as  King  and  Judge,  and  both  insist  on  the 
necessity  of  holiness  for  admission  into  his  everlasting  kingdom. 
Bengel  mentions  this  mterpretation  thus :  Alii,  rihv  a-oaz6Xiov 
oiuov^  inter  vos  hac  tetate  versantium ;  in  antitheto  ad  prophetas 
veteres. 

Of  the  Lord  and  Saviour :  rod  xupiou  xai  ffw-Tjpoc.  It  is  the 
genitive  of  source  or  origin,  equivalent  to,  '  Sent  forth,  (or  com- 
missioned,) by  the  Lord  and  Saviour.'  These  words  should  be 
connected  with  "  prophets"  as  well  as  "  apostles  ;"  for  both  were 
commissioned  by  the  Lord  and  Saviour  :  which  is  an  undesigned 
coincidence  with  1  Pet.  1  :  10-12.  The  Spirit  of  Christ  in  the 
pi'ophets  foretold  the  complete  salvation  of  the  saints  at  our 
Lord's  advent,  and  the  apostles  announced  the  same  good  news 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven.  (Comp.  Acts  2  :  33.) 
Accordingly  the  sense  is :  My  design  is  to  remind  you  of  the 
things  foretold  by  the  prophets  relative  to  our  Lord's  coming, 
and  of  the  necessity  of  holiness  in  order  to  your  admission 
into  his  kingdom,  which  Paul  and  myself^  who  have  been  your 
apostolical  instructors,  agree  in  pressing  on  your  ingenuous 
minds. 

To  say,  as  Calvin  does,  that  hroXyj  means  the  whole  doctrine 
taught  by  the  apostles,  is  forced  and  unnatural ;  for  the  word 
means  precept,  laAv  requiring  obedience. 

A.  B.  C.  G.  K.,  almost  fifty  others,  and  Vulgate,  have  orj.aJv :  some 
cursive  manuscripts  have  tjij-cov.  (Tischendorf.)  We  consider  v/jmv 
as  alone  genuine  :  the  MSS.  evidence  for  it  being  overwhelming. 
Besides,  rdJv  aKoffroXaJv  r^/j.wv  can  only  mean  '*  our  apostles  ;"  which 
Avould  imply  that  the  writer  did  not  reckon  himself  as  one  of  the 
apostles :  but  a  man  even  of  the  most  torpid  mind  coidd  not,  in 
so  brief  a  letter,  forget  what  he  had  previously  said.  But  there 
are  no  marks  of  forgery  in  this  epistle,  as  we  have  proved  in  the 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  3.  191 

introduction.  To  justify  the  version  in  the  English  Bible  the 
order  should  have  been  rjiiojv  tcDv  a-o(7roXcov^  for  Avhich  there  is 
nothing  that  can  be  called  evidence ;  so  that  Bengel's  reference 
to  Acts  10:  41,  to  prove  an  apposition,  falls  to  the  ground. 

V.  3.  Knowing  this  first^  that  there  shall  come  in  the  last  of 
tlie  days  scoffers  xoith  scoffing^  walking  according  to  their  own 
lusts. 

luiowing  this  first :  Provided  ye  first  know  this,  which  I  take 
'  for  granted,  as  in  1 :  20.  The  participle  expresses  a  condition  or 
supposition  assumed  as  true.  First  in  importance,  especially.  TJiis, 
i.  e.,  this  fact,  viz. :  that  there  shall  come,  etc.  /Scoffers,  i/j.7:dTxTat,  or 
scomers.  See  I/JlJC.  Isa.  3:4;  Jude,  18  v.  The  noun  is  deriv- 
ed from  iti-aiZ(ii  which  means  to  bring  a  boy's  disposition  to  bear 
on  any  matter,  or  to  act  like  a  boy  in  any  thing ;  hence,  to  mock, 
scoft*,  sneer  at  or  deride.  Thus  when  the  Roman  soldiers  gave 
way  to  such  a  disposition,  they  arrayed  our  Saviour  in  a  crimson 
cloak,  put  a  crown  or  wreath  of  plaited  thorns  on  his  head,  a  reed 
in  his  right  hand,  and,  having  bowed  the  knee  before  him,  mocked 
him,  saying,  hail,  Khig  of  the  Jews,  Matt.  27  :  28,  29.  (Compare 
Matt  27  :  41  Avith  39  v.,  "They  reviled  him.")  A  scorner  or  scoff- 
er, then,  is  one  Avho  treats  the  most  serious  and  important  mat- 
ters as  frivolously  as  a  capricious  boy ;  one  who  sneers  at  the 
coming  of  our  Lord,  and  ridicules  it  as  a  fable.  Such  sophists 
"  make  ridicule  the  test  of  truth  ;"  they  love  irony  more  than  any 
other  rhetorical  figure  of  speech,  and  use  it  to  dishonor  God,  and 
as  an  argument  to  show  that  man  is  a  sort  of — "  dignified  brute," 
returning  at  last  to  nonentity  !  Scoffers  with  scoffing,  iv  i/irzai- 
S/jMv^,  or,  in  scoffing,  that  is,  persisting  in  scoffing ;  iv  being  used 
to  intimate  a  constant  course  of  action;  as  in  1  Pet,  4:  19,  "7/i 
well  doing."  (In  favor  of  this  reading  are  A.  B.  C,  Vulgate, 
Coptic  and  Syriac  versions,     G,  K.  omit  it.     Tischendorf.) 

Walking  according  to  their  own  lusts,  i.  e.,  making  their  own 
sinful  inclinations  and  desires  the  rule  of  action,  in  opposition  to 
the  will  of  God  as  made  known  in  the  writings  of  prophets  and 


1 92  CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  3. 

apostles,  (2  v).  Compare  1  Pet.  4 :  2.  Lust,  uot  Holy  Scripture, 
is  their  Bible.  Our  apostle  thus  portrays  them  as  Deists, 
who  reject  divine  revelation.  Benson:  "Here  is  the  root  of 
Infidelity,  and  the  grand  reason  of  men's  scoffing  against 
religion." 

In  the  last  of  the  days,  i~'  iff/droo  twv  r/iispwv ;  literally,  close  to, 
or  near  the  last  of  the  days:  G.  K.  many  others;  Syriac  version, 
CEcumenius,  Augustine.  The  other  reading  is,  m?,  or,  near  the 
last  days,  ^r  ^(T/drcuv  twv  Tj/ispdiy ;  A.  B.  C.  many  others :  Vul- 
gate, Coptic  version,  Theopylact,  Jerome.  Both  readings  express 
the  same  thought. 

The  corresponding  Hebrew  expression  "  in  the  last  of  the 
days,"  or,  "  in  the  after  part  of  the  days,"  refers  to  the  future, 
reckoning  from  the  time  of  narration  or  from  the  time  of  the 
speaker;  equivalent  to  hereafter.  Gen.  49:  1.  So  Jacob  said 
to  his  sons,  "  Gather  yourselves  together,  that  I  may  tell  you  that 
which  shall  befall  you  in  the  last  of  the  days,^''  or  in  the  future  of 
that  age  or  dispensation  in  which  we  now  live.  Num.  24:  14  ; 
Deut.  31  :  29  ;  Isa.  2:2;  Mic.  4:1;  Dan.  10:14.  "  Knowing 
this  first,  that  there  shall  come  in  the  last  of  the  days  scoffers," 
etc.,  means^  there  shall  come  hereafter  scorners,  or  in  the  future 
of  that  age  or  dispensation  in  which  we  now  live.  "  The  days  " 
can  only  mean,  in  this  expression,  the  times  in  which  you  and  I 
are  now  living ;  and  "  the  last  of  the  days,"  in  the  future  of  the 
Christian  dispensation  ;  usage  admits  of  no  other  explanation. 

Once  indeed  the  sacred  writer  reckons  backward  instead  of 
forward;  "God  hath  in  the  last  of  these  days  spoken  tons  by  his 
Son,"  i.  e.,  at  the  end  of  the  Jewish  dispensation,  which  mingled 
with  the  beginning  of  the  Christian.  The  Mosaic  economy  died 
when  Christ  said,  "  It  is  finished,"  John  19:30;  Matt.  27 :  51  ;  but 
it  was  not  buried  until  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans  and  the  dispersion  of  the  Jews ;  since  which  time  it  has 
been  impossible  for  them  to  worship  God  according  to  the  pre- 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  4.  193 

cepts  of  the  Mosaic  Law.  Compare  Ileb.  9 :  26,  Gr.,  and  1  Pet. 
1:  19,  20,  Gr. 

The  sense  then  is  :  'In  the  future  of  the  age  or  dispensation  in 
which  we  Christians  are  now  living,  there  shall  come  scotFers  Avho 
shall  constantly  scoff,  not  reason ;  men,  Avhose  Bible  or  rule  of 
life  is  not  the  writings  of  prophets  and  apostles,  not  the  will  of 
God  thus  made  known,  but  their  own  lusts,  or  sinful  inclinations.' 
All  the  skeptical  writings  from  Herbert  to  Strauss,  to  say 
nothing  of  Celsus  and  Julian,  prove  that  Peter's  prediction  has 
been  most  sadly  and  convincingly  fulfilled.  One  of  these  men 
entitled  his  work  '  the  Age  of  Reason,'  by  a  great  misnomer  ;  it 
should  have  been  '  the  Age  of  Scoffing.' 

V.  4.  Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming  ?  Promise,  by 
metonomy,  for  the  thing  promised,  as  in  1 :  4.  'Where  is  the  ful- 
filment of  the  promise  as  to  Christ's  coming  ?'  The  question  im- 
plies a  negative ;  in  the  view  of  the  scoffers,  it  never  will  be 
fulfilled.  '  What  dependence  can  be  put  on  that  which  you 
Christians  call  the  promise  of  his  coming  ?  If  he  intends  to  ap- 
pear, Avhy  has  he  not  done  so  long  ago  ?  He  that  never  means 
to  come,  stays  long.'  "  Where,  then,  is  boasting  ?"  i.  e.,  there  is 
no  foundation  at  all  for  boasting,  according  to  the  doctrine  of 
justification  just  exhibited.  Rom.  3:27,  with  21-26  vs.  "  0  death, 
Avhere  is  thy  sting?"     1  Cor.  15  :  55. 

For  since  the  fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things  continue  2'>^'ecisely  as 

from  the  heginning  of  creation.  "They  oppose,"  says  Calvin,  "tlie 

uniform  course  of  nature  to  the  divine  promise,  as  if  these  things 

Avere  contrary,  or  did  not  well  agree."     Tlie  scoffers  assume  that, 

since  the  creation  of  our  Avorld,  no  miracle,  properly  so  called, 

has  been  wrought  by  God.     Hume,  for  example,  said   that   no 

amount  of  evidence  could  assure  posterity  of  such  a  fact !     As  if 

a  Avhole  nation,  from  the  time  of  Moses  till  now,  had  conspired 

to  testify  falsely  respecting  those  miracles  Avhich  God  wrouglit  by 

the  Hebrew  legislator !     But  hoxc,  or  on  what  ground,  can  any 

infidel  know  that  the  so-called  course  of  nature  has  beenuniform 
13 


194  CHAPTEE  III.  VER.  4. 

from  the  beginning  of  creation  ?  Only  on  the  ground  of  human 
testimony.  Strauss  says  that  a  miracle  is  impossible !  Impossi- 
ble! when,  then,  was  the  Almighty  annihilated?  or  who  has 
wrested  from  his  hands  the  control  and  management  of  our 
world  ?  The  scorners  also  take  it  for  granted  that  no  miracle 
will  ever  hereafter  be  wrought  by  God,  and  hence  that  the 
second  coming  of  Jesus  Christ,  with  all  its  accompanying  and 
subsequent  events,  is  purely  fictitious.  "  He  that  sitteth  in  the 
heavens  shall  laugh:  Jehovah  shall  have  them  in  derision." 
Ps.  2:4. 

By  the  fathers  is  not  meant  simply  the  patriarchs ;  (see  Mark 
12 :  23-27  ;  Heb.ll :  19,)  nor  the  prophets  and  apostles  who  may 
be  styled  the  fathers  of  the  Jewish  and  Christian  Church,  and 
who  especially  foretold  Christ's  advent  as  King  and  Judge ;  nor 
the  generation  which  lived  when  our  Lord  was  upon  earth,  most 
of  whom  were  dead  when  Peter  wrote :  but  all  past  generations 
who  believe  the  promise  here  referred  to  ;  for  the  scoffers  allude 
to  the  earliest  history  of  the  world  and  up  to  their  day. 
(Benson.) 

Precisely  as,  ourdi'^,  with  TcaOaJq  or  w?  implied.  (See  Luke  24 : 
24 ;  1  Cor.  4:1;  Jas,  2:12;  John  7  :  46.)  From  the  heginning 
of  creation:  this  phrase  occurs  also,  Mark  10:  6  ;  13  :  19.  Paul's 
form  of  speech  is,  "From  the  creation  of  the  world,"  Rom.  1 : 
20.  Both  mean,  ever  since  the  beginning  of  our  world.  To  fall 
asleep  is  a  natural  and  beautiful  metaj)hor  to  denote  death.  It 
appertains  to  the  body  only.  In  sleep  and  death  the  body  rests 
and  is  inactive,  and  one  looks  like  the  twin-brother  of  the  other. 
The  sleep  of  the  soul,  or  its  unconscious  state  from  the  time  of 
death  till  the  resurrection,  may  be  asserted,  but  can  never  be 
proved.  It  is  directly  contrary  to  all  that  we  know  now  of  the 
nimbleness  and  increasing  activity  of  the  human  spirit,  even 
while  dwelling  in  frail  and  sickly  bodies ;  it  is  conti-ary  to  the 
express  declaration  of  our  Lord  to  the  penitent  thief:  "  To-day 
shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise."     But  if  his  soul  had  fallen 


CHAPTER  III,  VER.  5.  I95 

asleej)  at  death,  not  to  awake  until  Christ's  second  coming,  how 
could  he  know  where  he  should  be  ?  How  could  he  know  even  that 
he  should  exist  at  all  ?  Neither  does  this  metaphor  denote  annihila- 
tion: it  may  do  for  scoffers  to  call  "  death  an  eternal  sleep  ";  but 
there  is  no  such  thing  for  an  intelligent  being.  What  scoffer  can 
prove  that  God  will  annihilate  his  body  and  spirit  at  death, 
much  as  he  may  desire  it  ? 

V.  5,  6.  For  this  they  are  toilUngly  ignorant  of,  that  theheav- 
ens  loere  of  old,  and  the  earth  ofioater  and  by  vmter  co)istituted, 
by  the  word  of  God ;  whereby  the  then  world,  deluged  with  water, 
was  destroyed. 

For  this  they  are  loillingly  ignorant  of  XavOdvei  yap  abzou<; 
TouTo  Oikovraq :  for  this  escapes  their  notice  willingly,  or  they  are 
willingly  ignorant  of  this  fact,  viz.:  that  the  heavens  icere  of  old  ; 
ort  obpavoi  T^aav  exTiaXai,  that  the  heavens  had  an  existence  long 
since  in  the  past,  Ps.  102  :  25.  The  heavens  mean  the  region  of  the 
air  or  atmosphere,  of  our  world.  "  God  called  the  expanse  heav- 
ens," Gen.  1 :  8  ;  Ps.  8  :  8.  "  Fowl  of  the  heavens."  (Iliad  24  : 
503.  audi  fxs  kijOtii;,  am  6awv  Ttq  <r'  rjys.)  So  Calvin,  Beza,  T. 
Smith,  Benson  and  others. 

Bloorafield  agrees  with  those  who  suppose  that  the  apostle  re- 
fers to  what  is  said  in  the  j^rcceding  verse.  '  For  it  escapes  them 
willingly  this,'  or  who  will  have  it  that  the  course  of  nature  has 
ever  been  uniform,  and  will  ever  be  so.  But  the  pronoun  this 
refers  not  to  what  goes  before,  but  to  that  which  follows  ;  as  in 
the  eighth  verse,  introduced  in  both  instances  by  o-£=the  fact  that, 
"  For  this  willingly  escapes  them,  that  the  heavens,"  etc.  "  Let 
not  this  one  thing  escape  you, beloved,  that  one  day  is  Mith  the 
Lord,"  etc. 

And  the  earth  of  water  and  by  water  constituted,  xac  yr^  i^ 
udaro':  xai  81  vdazoq  auvtazmaa.  There  is  a  diversity  of  opinion 
as  to  the  meaning  of  these  words.  Calvin :  "  The  world  certainly 
has  its  origin  from  the  waters ;  for  the  chaos  from  which  the 
earth  was  produced,  Moses  calls  the  waters.    It  was  also  sus- 


196  •  CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  5,  6. 

tained  by  the  waters ;  yet  the  Lord  used  tlie  waters  to  destroy 
it."  He  thinks,  therefore,  that  the  reference  in  these  words  is  to 
the  commingled  mass  of  land  and  water  as  at  first  created  and 
then  put  together  by  God,  and  as  it  existed  afterwards.  Accord- 
ing to  this  view,  Peter  speaks  of  the  earth  as  being  put  together 
at  first  out  of  the  watery  commingled  mass,  and  as  sustained, 
owing  to  the  constitution  originally  given  to  it ;  or,  of  its  original 
creation  as  a  world,  and  of  its  conservation  to  the  deluge.  (See 
also  McKnight  and  Benson.) 

Our  traslators  render  thus  :  "And  the  earth  standing  out  of  the 
water  and  in  the  water."  The  word  "  5to?i<:?/«^  "  is  ambiguous, 
as  Bengel  justly  says.  The  marginal  translation  is  '■'•  consisting.'''' 
The  translation  of  ^'  udaroc;  by  "  in  the  water,"  cannot  be  justi- 
fied. They  seem  to  have  been  led  to  this  way  of  translating  the 
preposition,  from  supposing  the  apostle  to  allude  to  Gen.  1 :  9,  10. 
"  And  God  said,  let  the  waters  under  the  heavens  be  gathered 
together  unto  one  j^lace,  and  let  the  dry  land  appear :  and  it  was 
so.  And  God  called  the  dry  land  earth,"  etc.  Perhaps  their 
way  of  understanding  this  clause,  or  an  approximation  to  it,  may 
be  thus  given :  '  The  heavens  were  of  old,  and  the  earth  (arising 
from  the  water  and  rushing  through  the  water)  constituted,  by 
the  word  of  God.'  When  God  said,  "  Let  the  dry  land  appear," 
the  earth  arose  out  of  the  waters  rushed  through  them,  as  they 
were  going  to  their  receptacles  called  seas.  Thus,  their  obedience 
to  the  divine  fiat  is  described  in  the  words  enclosed  in  parenthet- 
ical marks ;  but  the  creation  and  conservation  of  the  earth,  by 
the  participle  constituted.  It  is  the  perfect  participle,  aoveariuaa, 
and  happily  expresses,  according  to  either  view,  both  creation 
and  consei'vation :  '  Having  been  at  first  put  togethe::  and  still 
remaining  so.' 

The  former  interpretation  seems  to  us  alone  accurate.  The 
scoffers  say  that  since  the  beginning  of  creation,  the  course  of 
nature  has  been  uniform.  Not  so,  says  our  apostle,  unless  you 
choose  to  ignore  the  fact  of  the   deluge.     "  The  heavens  were 


CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  6.  197 

very  long  ago  ;"  they  have  not  existed  from  eternity,  but  only  for 
a  long  time  in  the  pas*.  How  then  did  they  come  into  existence  ? 
By  the  xcord  of  God^  and  so  also  vms  the  earth  constituted  / 
being  originally  made  or  put  together  as  a  world  by  the  divine 
fiat  out  of  the  water,  or  commingled  mass  spoken  of  by  Moses, 
and  kept  together  by  means  of  the  original  constitution  given 
to  it  mitil  the  flood,  Col.  1:  16,  17.  "  All  things  were  created 
by  him  and  for  him  ;  and  he  is  before  all,  and  all  things  in  him 
consist,''''  iv  auTco  <Tuve(TTrjxe ;  i.  e.,  all  things  were  originally  created, 
constituted  or  put  together  by  him,  and  are  still  kept  together  by 
him ;  or,  "  the  universe  stands  together  leaning  on  him,"  he  "  u[)- 
holds  it  by  the  word  of  his  power,"  Heb.  1:3. 

In  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  creation  of  our  world,  "  God 
said,''^  is  a  phrase  often  occurring.  It  means,  God  showed  his 
almighty  power,  he  ex2:)ressed  his  will,  so  that  the  effect  instantly 
followed.  "  God  said,  Light  be,  and  light  was,"  Ps.  33  :  9. 
"  For  he  spake,  and  it  was ;  he  commanded,  and  it  was  made 
to  stand,"  6  v.  "  By  the  word  of  Jehovah  the  heavens  were 
made;  and  by  the  breath  of  his  mouth  all  their  hosts."  "The 
word  of  God  "  therefore,  as  here  used  by  Peter,  is  the  same  as 
God's  command,  almighty  will,  or  fiat. 

WJierehy  the  then  loorld,  deluged  vnth  water,  ^oas  destroyed  (or, 
perished.)  Whereby,  St'  wv=by  which  ;  ^.  e.,  by  which  constitution 
of  things,  or  by  so  constituting  our  world,  it  was  destroyed  by  the 
deluge.'  The  waters  of  the  heavens  or  atmosphere,  and  the 
waters  of  the  earth,  under  the  direction  and  control  of  the  Al- 
mighty, destroyed  it,  Gen.  7:11.  The  then  icorld,  6  zozs  xoir/xo-:, 
the  world  as  it  is  existed  from  the  creation  till  the  flood ;  the  re- 
ference being  especially  to  the  material  world,  though  not  to  the 
exclusion  of  its  inhabitants,  2:5.  The  then  world  was  destroyed, 
or  perished,  anwltro.  The  reference  is  to  the  physical  disruptions 
and  changes  caused  by  the  deluge ;  water  being  used  by  God  to 
make  a  ruin  of  our  earth,  which  he  had  created  of  water,  and  by 
means  of  it  sustained ;  the  very  materials  made  and  used  in  build- 


198     ■  CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  7. 

ing  and  upholding  the  material  globe  being  employed  by  him  to 
effect  an  alteration  in  its  structure  for  the«worse.  The  antedilu- 
vians for  example,  must  have  moved  about  under  more  genial 
heavens,  or  breathed  a  healthier  atmosphere  than  men  since  the 
flood,  otherwise  their  stay  on  earth  could  not  have  approximated 
to  a  thousand  years. 

TJie  then  world  was  destroyed,  is  an  allusion  to  Gen.  6:13. 
"  And  God  said  to  Noah,  the  end  of  all  flesh  is  come  before  me ; 
for  the  earth  is  filled  with  violence  through  them ;  and  behold, 
Iwill  destroy  them  with  the  earth.''  Eth  (Heb.)  is  properly  rendered 
"  with,"  (as  in  Gen.  5 :  24,)  and  often  elsewhere.  The  apostle 
thus  teaches  that  a  most  remarkable  miracle  had  taken  place, 
altering  for  the  worse  the  material  globe  on  w^hich  we  still  live, 
as  well  as  destroying  its  inhabitants.  And  hence  the  coming  of 
Christ,  with  all  the  events  associated  in  Scripture  with  it,  is  not 
at  all  improbable.  He  who  has  left  the  prints  of  his  curse  on 
the  post-diluvian  earth,  and  who  drowned  all  but  eight  of  the 
ante-diluvians  is  the  same  God  still,  and  w^hen  Christ  comes,  he 
Avill  scorn  the  scorners,  Prov.  3 :  34. 

The  apostle,  in  this  context,  mentions  three  forms  or  conditions 
of  our  world.  First,  the  ante-diluvian  world,  which  he  calls  "  the 
then  world,"  or  our  world  as  it  was  from  its  creation  to  the  de- 
luge. Second,  the  post-diluvian,  our  present  Avorld,  which  he 
calls  "  the  now  heavens  and  earth  ;"  or  our  world  as  it  has  existed 
from  the  deluge  until  now,  and  will  exist,  retaining  its  present 
state,  xmtil  Christ  comes  as  Judge,  V  :  10-12  vs.  Third,  the 
future  Avorld,  "the  new  heavens  and  earth,  in  which  dwelleth 
righteousness ; "  or  the  future  renovated  condition  of  our 
world  as  the  permanent  abode  of  the  justified  and  sanctified,  at 
Christ's  coming  as  King  ;  "  the  world  to  come,"  or  future  habit- 
able earth,  Heb.  2:5. 

V.  7.  Btit  the  noxo  heavens  and  earth  hy  his  loord  are  stored 
vj),  hept  for  fire  at  the  day  of  judgment  and  perdition  of  these 
tingodly  men. 


CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  1.  199 

JBut,  that  is,  notwithstanding  all  the  scoffing  of  the  scoffers, 
(3,  4  vs.,)  jeering  at  Christ's  coming  as  a  fable.  77ie  note  heavens 
and  earth,  our  present  world,  or  the  condition  of  the  earth  and 
its  atmosphere  as  it  now  exists :  these  words  are  contrasted  with 
"  the  then  world,"  (6  v.,)  or  the  earth  with  its  atmosphere  as  it 
was  up  to  the  deluge,  5  v.  JDr/  his  loord,  almighty  will  or  fiat,  are 
stored  up^  put  like  treasures  in  their  proper  storehouses  or  recep- 
tacles. See  Ps.  33  :  7.  God  has  stored  up  the  heavens  and  earth 
which  are  now,  put  the  present  atmosphere  and  earth  safely  away, 
or  arranged  them  each  in  its  proper  place  and  position,  and  is 
still  treasuring  them  up  in  this  manner ;  which  the  perfect  tense 
indicates  :  TeOrjaavpiaidvoi  dai.  The  metajDhor  beautifully  describes 
the  perfect  stability  and  duration  of  our  world,  as  it  now  is,  imtil 
the  coming  of  the  Judge.  Kept  for  fire^  T.opi  Tr^pobiitvoi^  secured 
or  resei'ved  to  be  subjected,  not  to  the  action  of  water,  (Gen.  9  : 
11,)  but  of  fire.  Kept  for  fire  at  the  day  of  judgment  and  per- 
dition of  these  ungodly  men:  that  is,  our  world  with  its  atmos- 
phere will  be  subjected  to  the  action  of  fire  when  these  ungodly 
men  shall  be  judged  and  destroyed.  The  i^reposition  £;V,  when 
connected  with  w^ords  indicative  of  time,  means  up  to,  ichen,  or 
at  j  'kept  for  fire  up  to  the  day  of  judgment  and  destruction,'  etc. 
2:  9;  1  Pet.  1:  11.  " Searching  ?{/j  to  what  [season]  or  what 
sort  of  time,"  etc.,  i.  e.,  the  prophets  endeavored  to  find  ontichen 
the  Christ  was  to  ajDpear,  and  what  the  moral  character  of  the 
age  would  be,  1  Thess.  4:  15.  "  TVe  the  living  Avho  survive  ?^jt? 
to  the  coming  of  the  Lord,"  or  when  he  shall  have  come,  Phil. 
1 :  10.  "That  ye  be  sincere  and  without  offence  w^:>  to  Christ's 
day,"  2  :  IG.  "For  rejoicing  to  me  up  to  Christ's  day,"  at  that 
time.  T7ie  day  of  judgment  and  destruction.,  the  appointed  time 
of  trial  and  consequent  punishment,  consisting  in  the  loss,  not  of 
being,  but  of  well-being,  2 :  9.  Perdition  or  destruction :  the 
original  word  is  explained  on  2  :  1.  These  ungodly  men:  litei*- 
ally,  tJie  ungodly  men,  or  the  before-mentioned  ungodly  men, 
equivalent  to  *  these  ungodly  men.'     The  scoffers  are  intended, 


200  CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  8. 

3  V.  '  Our  earth  with  its  atmosi^here  will  be  kept  in  being  as 
they  now  are  until  the  coming  of  our  Lord ;  but  they  will  be 
subjected  to  the  operation  of  fire  when  he  arrives  to  judge  and 
jjunish  these  irreverent  scoffers.'  B.  C.  G.  K.  Syriac  version 
have  "By  his  word,"  rw  auroa  Xoyw :  A.  and  Yulgate,  "By  the 
same  word." 

V.  8.  J^ut,  beloved,  be  not  ye  ignorant  of  this  one  thing,  that 
one  day  is  loith  the  Xiord  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand 
years  as  one  day.  '  In  the  sight  or  judgment  of  the  Lord  a  mil- 
lennium and  a  day  are  alike.  He  who  inhabits  eteraity  neither 
hastens  nor  delays  the  execution  of  his  coming.'  "  Time,"  says 
Nordheimer,  "is  the  constant  influx  and  efllux  of  moments, 
whose  beginning  and  ending  are  lost  in  eternity;"  or,  time  is 
nothing  but  a  bit  of  eternity,  broken  ofl"  at  both  ends ;  but  Ave, 
while  expecting  good,  think  day  long  and  night  tedious,  and  the 
very  small  bit  in  our  hands  of  huge  dimensions — not  so  our  Lord, 
who  is  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  for  ever.  Heb.  13: 
8.  (Compare  Ps.  90 :  4,  to  which  our  apostle  alludes,  and  the 
expressions  of  which  he  alters.  Moses,  in  that  Psalm,  contrasts 
God's  eternity  with  man's  mortality ;  and  says  that  in  the  judg- 
ment of  Jehovah  a  thousand  years  are  what  yesterday  is  to  men 
when  it  is  past,  or  a  watch  in  the  night.  Peter  says,  that  the  pur- 
pose of  God  in  flesh  as  to  his  coming  will  surely  be  effected,  and 
that  a  thousand  years  and  a  day  are  alike  to  him  in  this  particu- 
lar ;  he  neither  hastens  nor  delays,  and  is  immutably  faithful.) 
Bengel :  Dei  mnologium  (sic  appellare  liceat)  differt  ab  horologio 
mortalium.  .  .  .  Ei  nee  tardius  nee  celerius  labuntur  tempora, 
quam  Ipsi  et  ceconomioB  ejus  aptum  est :  i.  e.,  "  God's  eternity- 
clocJc  (if  we  may  so  speak,)  differs  from  the  time-piece  of  mortals. 
As  to  him,  the  times  glide  away  neither  more  slowly  nor  more 
swiftly,  but  they  pass  by  in  such  a  manner  as  he  deems  best,  and 
in  accordance  with  his  plan,  or  economy  of  the  universe."  Ben- 
son: "It  makes  no  difference  with  God,  whether  the  thing, 
which  he  has  engaged  to  do,  is  to  be  performed,  now  or  a  thou- 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  9.  201 

sand  years  hence ;  he  will  as  certainly  and  jDunctually  accomplish 
it,  and  time  makes  no  alteration  as  to  his  wisdom,  goodness,  poAV- 
er,  or  veracity.  Calvin  :  "  Now  he  directs  his  discourse  to  the 
pioiis,  and  admonishes  them  to  lift  their  eyes  npward,  when  the 
subject  treated  of  is  Christ's  advent ;  for  if  we  do  so,  we  cannot 
subject  the  time  prescribed  by  God  to  our  preposterous  wishes. 
For  on  this  account  it  seems  too  long  to  wait,  because  we  have 
our  eyes  fastened  on  the  shortness  of  the  present  life';  we  also 
increase  our  weariness  by  reckoning  days,  hours,  and  moments. 
But  when  the  eternity  of  God's  kingdom  occurs  to  ixs,  many  ages 
vanish  like  a  moment.  Hither  therefore,  the  apostle  recalls  us, 
in  order  that  we  may  know  that  the  day  of  resurrection  does 
not  dej^end  on  the  present  flow  of  the  times,  but  on  God's  eternal 
counsel." 

V.  9.  The  promised  Lord  delays  not,  as  some  think  it  a  delay  ; 
hut  is  long-suffering  toioards  you,  not  willing  that  any  he  de- 
stroyed, hut  that  all  come  to  repentance. 

TJie  prom,ised  Lord  delays  not  ^  oh  ^pa^mti  y.upwz  rr^^  i-ayye- 
Uai'.  literally,  "Lord  of  the  promise "=the promised  Lord.  So 
it  is  in  A.  B.  C.  The  promised  Lord  delays  not,  does  not  loiter 
or  linger;  comp.  2:3.  He  has  not  put  off  his  coming,  or  he  is 
not  slow  therein,  as  some  think  it  a  delay  or  slowness  ;  that  is, 
as  the  scoffers,  who  think  that  our  Lord  travels  so  slowly  that  ho 
will  never  arrive  in  this  world. 

The  other  reading,  adopted  by  our  translators,  is  found  in  G. 
K.,  and  makes  no  alteration  in  the  sense :  o  being  prefixed  to 
y.ori'.o^.  The  Lord  delays  not  the  promise,  or  he  is  not  slow  as  to 
fulfilling  it,  as  the  scofters  assume.  The  Vulgate  thus :  "  The 
Lord  delays  not  his  promise,  as  some  think." 

Here  the  apostle  teaches  us  that  the  reason  why  our  Lord  has 
not  yet  come,  is  not  because  he  is  unable  or  unwilling  to  fulfil 
that  engagement;  and  that  in  truth,  with  resj)ect  to  him,  there  is 
no  delay  at  all  in  coming,  inasiiiuch  as  he  will  come  at  the  ap- 
pointed season,  and  neither  sooner  nor    later.  Compare  1  Tim.  6: 


202  CHAPTER  III,  VER.  9. 

15,  "jv  (sc.  irticpaveCav)  xaipotq  idtoiq  etc.,  "  whicli  (appearing,  14  V.,) 
in  its  own  season  the  blessed  and  only  potentate  will  show.  JBut 
is  long-sxiffering  towards  you^  etc.  The  apostle  having  declared 
that,  so  far  as  our  Lord  is  concerned,  there  is  no  delay  in  respect 
of  his  promised  coming,  now  teaches  ns  that  his  apparent  delay, 
as  men  view  it,  is  owing  to  his  unspeakable  patience  and  kind- 
ness towards  believers,  and  to  afford  sinners  opportunities  for 
repentance.  {^Towards  you,  dq  v!j.aq:m.  favor  of  e??  are  B.  C. 
G.  K.,  of  b[j.a-:  A.  B.  C.  Towards  ics,  ei^  yip-aq,  81  bimq.  A.  Vul- 
gate. But  these  various  readings,  as  usual,  leave  the  sense  un- 
changed.) 

Not  loilling  that  any  be  destroyed,  hut  that  all  come  to  repent- 
ance. Clement  of  Rome,  as  already  said  in  the  introduction, 
seems  to  have  understood  these  words  of  God's  elect.  "  He  hath 
established  it,  then,  by  his  almighty  will,"  (referring  to  Ezek.  33: 
11,)  "inasmuch  as  he  is  willing  that  all  his  beloved  partake  of 
repentance ;"  (literally,  "  willing  that  all  his  beloved  partake  of 
I'epentance.")  Here  Clement  unquestionably  refers  to  2  Pet.  3 : 
8,  9.  He  considers  Peter  as  addi-essing  only  the  beloved,  and 
that  God's  almighty  will,  decree  or  oath,  as  mentioned  by  Ezekiel, 
takes  effect  upon  all  such,  or  that  God  wills  that  they  all  partake 
of  repentance.  So  also  Beza :  "  The  reason  why  the  last  day 
doth  not  instantly  come,  is  because  of  God's  long  suffering  to 
the  elect ;  not  willing  that  any  of  them  should  perish,  but  that 
all  be  brought  to  repentance." 

These  interpretations  are  not  so  untenable  as  some  imagine. 
Peter  is  certainly  addressing  God's  peoj^le.  '  The  Lord  delays 
not  as  to  his  promised  coming,  as  some  weak  and  trembling  be- 
lievers at  times  suppose,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  is  long  suffer- 
ing towards  you,  not  willing  that  any  of  you  his  beloved  perish, 
but  that  you  all  come  to  repentance.'  Thus,  in  substance,  Owen, 
("  The  Death  of  death  in  the  death  of  Christ,"  Book  4,  chap.  4.) 

Calvin  gives  a  very  different  interpretation  :  "  He  restrains 
their  excessive  and  foolish  haste  by  another  reason,  viz. :  that  the 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  9.  203 

Lord  i^uts  oiFliis  advent  in  order  to  invite  all  mankind  to  repent- 
ance :"  ut  totura  human nm  genus  ad  poenitentiam  invitet.  But 
has  not  Peter  predicted  the  coming  of  Christ  as  Judge  of  the 
wicked,  and  especially  of  false  teachers  and  scoffers,  and  showed 
the  certainty  and  justice  of  their  future  everlasting  j^unishment? 
And  how  can  such  a  prediction  be  reconciled  with  the  declaration 
before  us  that  God  is  not  willing  that  any  sinner  should  be  de- 
stroyed, but  that  all  should  come  to  rejientance  ?  In  this  Avay : 
while  God  is  immutably  determined  to  punish  hereafter  impeni- 
tent sinners  persisting  in  their  sins,  and  has  made  known  this  his 
purjjose  by  prophets  and  apostles,  yet,  at  the  same  time,  he  takes 
no  pleasure  in  their  destruction.  He  has  no  delight  in  their  loss 
of  everlasting  life,  but  would  rather  behold  them  humbling  them- 
selves before  him  on  account  of  their  sins.  In  oar  judgment, 
Peter  certainly  aUudes  to  Ezek.  33 :  11.  "As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord 
God,  I  Jiave  no  ])leasure  in  the  death  of  the  toicJced  ;  hut  that  the 
wicked  turn  from  his  \oay  and  live:  turn  ye,  turn  ye,  from  your  evil 
ways ;  for  why  will  ye  die,  O  house  of  Israel  ?  "  Compare  Ezek. 
18  :  23,  32.  Satan  and  his  laAvless  clan  may  perhaps  exult  for  a 
moment  as  sinners  of  mankind  are  hurled  into  hell.  But  God  is 
no  inquisitor  general,  and  God  in  flesh  wej^t  over  lost  souls  on 
Mount  Olivet ;  their  destruction  does  not  gratify  him,  even 
though  their  sins  richly  deserve  it,  and,  if  tliey  persist  in  them, 
shall  receive  it.  The  restriction  of  these  words  therefore  to  the 
elect  is  unnecessary,  and  repugnant  to  Peter's  scope  ;  which  is  to 
show  that  the  delay  of  Christ's  coming,  as  men  view  it,  is  not  only 
for  the  salvation  of  believers  or  the  beloved,  (compare  15  v.)  but 
also  to  afford  any  sinner  however  degraded,  and  all  sinners  indis- 
criminately, oj^portunities  for  rei)entance. 

Kot  loilling  that  any  he  destroyed,  tir,  l3uoXufj.£v6^  Ttvaq  aizoUaOat. 
Now,  to  ?oiW  means  not  only  to  p^irpose,  or  determine  beforehand 
to  do  or  abstain  from  doing  any  thing,  but  also  to  desire  or  wish 
to  ta/ce  2)leasn7'e  or  delight  in  doing  or  not  doing.  And  this  is  quite 
natural,  for  desire  goes  immediately  before  determination,  and 


204  CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  9. 

leads  to  it.  The  apostle  here  uses  the  i^articiple  iu  the  sense  of 
desiring  or  taking  delight  in,  '  The  Lord  Jesus  takes  no  pleasure 
in  the  everlasting  misery  of  any.' 

According  to  Buttman,  [iooXoiiat  (here  used  by  Peter,)  means 
\o  wish  or  desire,  OiXo  or  tOiXiu  to  purpose  or  determine.  In  Hel- 
lenistic Greek,  this  distinction  is  not  always  observed.  (And 
whether  it  is  always  so  in  classical  Greek,  is  a  question  which 
does  not  at  present  concern  us.)  The  verb  Oilu}  is  only  twice 
foimd  in  Peter's  epistles,  1  Pet.  3  :  10.  "For  he  that  vy'iU  love 
life,"  that  is,  he  Avho  is  determined  to  enjoy  life,  2  Pet.  3  :  5. 
"  For  this  escapes"  (is  hidden  from)  "  them  vnlling  /  "  literally : 
^.  e.,  their  ignorance  of  this  fact  is  voluntary,  determined  or  ob- 
stinate. They  not  only  do  not  wish  to  know  it,  but  are  deter- 
mined^ if  possible,  to  drive  it  from  their  recollection.  Peter ^ 
therefore,  accurately  observes  the  above-mentioned  distinction,  and 
thus  our  interpretation  of  this  clause  is  confirmed.  Besides,  the 
subjective  negative  is  used,  intimating  that  such  is  the  mind  of 
our  Lord  that  he  is  not  capable  of  delight  or  pleasure  in  the 
death  of  any  of  the  wicked,  Matt.  1:19.  "  Joseph,  her  husband, 
being  righteous,  and  not  purposing  {jiy]  OOm^j)  to  expose  her  to 
public  disgrace,  xoas  desirous  [tjSouXrjOrj)  of  divorcing  her  i:)rivate- 
ly,"  Mark  15:  15.  "  But  Pilate,  vnshing  [i3uv)MiJ.v>oq)  to  satisfy 
the  people."  Acts  17:  20,  where  Athenians  speak:  "  We  desire 
(^jSouXo/izSa)  therefore  to  know  what  one  mai/  determine  these 
things  to  be,"  (re'  «v  SiXoi  ruoza  ehat)  or,  'what  these  things 
mean:'  compare  Acts  2:  12,  Gr. ;  Phil.  1:  12.  ^^  J  wish  you  to 
know,"  etc. :  l3ou?M/j.ai. 

Hut  that  all  come  to  repentance,  d?J.d  -dvraq  da  /icTdvocav  /(np- 
y,aa.i.  '  The  Lord  Jesus  takes  no  pleasure  in  the  everlasting  mise- 
ry of  any,  but  on  the  other  hand,  he  delights  in  seeing  all  sinners 
confessing  and  forsaking  their  sins.'  Or,  '  Not  desiring  their  de- 
struction and  taking  no  pleasure  in  it,  but  rather  taking  pleasure 
in  their  repentance.'  Compare  Rom.  9 :  22.  "But  if  God,  de- 
termining (^^Aw»)  to  manifest  his  wrath,"  (just  indignation  against 


CHAPTP:R  III.,  VER.  10.  205 

sinful  men,)  "and  to  muke  known  his  power,  endured  loith  mxich 
long  suffering  vessels  of  Avrath  fitted  for  destruction."  Here 
Paul  agrees  with  Peter  in  declaring  that  God  is  determined  to 
j)unish  obstinate  and  persevering  sinners,  but  he  teaches,  at  the 
same  time,  that  God  shows  remarkable  and  long  continued  kind- 
ness even  to  those  who  by  their  sins  become  ripe  for  destruction, 
and  that  such  must,  notwithstanding  God's  much  long-suffering, 
be  the  recipients  of  punishment.  Neither  Paul  nor  Peter,  then, 
restrict  God's  long  suffering  to  the  elect ;  and  so  the  interpreta- 
tion Ave  have  given  is  fixed  on  an  immovable  foundation.  The  verb 
^wprjaai  is  here  intransitive,  and  means  to  make  room  or  space 
for  one's  self,  and  hence  to  come,  as  in  Matt.  15:17;  John  8:37. 
"Because  my  word  comes  not  in  you,"  i.  e.,  because  it  comes 
not  and  abides  in  you,  or  it  has  no  place  in  your  hearts.  As 
Tiva':  is  the  subject  accusative  of  d7roXi<xdac,  SOrcfvra?  is  of  /wpy^ffac, 
because  both  depend  on  the  verbum  sentiendi,  ^ouXuixe'M>^.  [Some- 
times the  verb  is  seemingly  transitive,  or  takes  an  object  accu- 
sative :  2  Cor.  7:2.  "  Make  room  for  us"  (in  your  afteclions,)  or 
"receive  us,"  Matt.  19:  11.]  Hejyefitance, /j-erdvota,  a.  change  of 
mind  as  to  sin,  and  as  to  God,  whose  law  is  violated  by  trans- 
gression. Acts  20:  21. 

Thus  the  apostle  has  shown  that  the  assumption  of  the  scoffers 
is  false  in  fact,  and  hence  that  their  inference  derived  from  it  is 
worthless,  and  also  that  our  Lord  has  the  best  and  most  aftecting 
reasons  for  his  ai^parent  delay. 

'"But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  tliief  in  the  night;  in 
which  the  heavens  with  a  great  noise  shall  pass  by ;  moreover, 
the  kindled  elements  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  earth  and  the 
works  on  it  shall  be  burned.  "Since  then  all  these  things  are  to  be 
dissolved,  what  manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  con- 
versation and  godliness,  "looking  for  and  urging  on  the  coming 
of  the  day  of  God,  by  reason  of  which  the  fired  heavens  shall  be 
dissolved,  and  the  kindled  elements  l^e  melted  ?  Nevertl«eless 
we,  according  to  his  promise,  look  for  the  new  heavens  and  the 
new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness. 

V.  10.  Hut,  that  is,  notwithstanding  what  scorners  may  say  to 


206  CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  10. 

the  contrary :  the  day  of  the  Lord  vnll  come.,  the  appointed  time 
will  arrive  when  the  Lord  Jesus  will  appear  in  our  world  to  mani- 
fest his  power,  justice  and  mercy.  It  will  come  as  a  thief  in  the 
night,  in  a  sudden  and  unexpected  manner ;  probably  to  all,  as  a 
flash  of  lightning ;  which  is  not  only  consj^icuous  to  all,  but  sud- 
den, Matt.  24:  27;  Luke  17:  24.  Our  Saviour,  however,  has 
given  signs  or  indications  by  which  its  near  approach  may  be  de- 
termined, (Mat.  24  :  32-34,)  though  not  its  precise  or  exact  sea- 
son. Matt.  24 :  36.  The  coming  of  a  thief  at  night  is  not  only 
sudden  and  unexpected,  but  causes  alarm  and  anguish  to  the 
family  thus  startled  from  their  slumbers.  And  this  day  will 
cause  the  scoffers,  and  all  lovers  of  sin,  to  be  filled  with  the 
greatest  alarm  and  distress,  so  that  they  shall  in  vain  wish  for 
annihilation,  7  v..  Rev.  6  :  16-17.  To  them  it  will  come  as  the 
flood,  on  the  antediluvians,  as  the  destruction  of  the  cities  of  the 
Plain,  Luke  17:  26-30. 

Not  so,  however,  to  the  pious  who  love  the  Lord  and  obey  him. 
This  day  shall  not  seize  the'tn  as  a  thief,  (1  Thess.  5:4,)  it  shall 
cause  no  alarm  and  anguish  to  them.  On  the  contrary,  they  urge 
it  on,  or  earnestly  long  and  pray  for  its  arrival ;  they  loo/c  for  it 
constantly  as  the  time  of  their  complete  redemption  in  soul  and 
body,  12  V.  And  when  it  has  come,  they  wiU  rejoice  with  ex- 
ceeding great  joy,  (1  Pet.  4  :  13,)  for  they  know  that  then  there 
shall  be  richly  furnished  to  them  an  entrance  into  the  everlasting 
kingdom  of  their  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  1:11. 

The  words,  ev  voxrt,  "  in  the  night,"  are  found  in  C.  G.  K.,  but 
not  in  A.  B.  Griesbach,  Lachmann  and  Tischendorf  omit  them ; 
perhaps  assuming  that  they  were  added  by  some  scribe  from  1 
Thess.  5 :  2.  But  it  is  as  probable  that  they  are  genuine,  and 
that  Peter  here  alludes  to  that  passage. 

Zn  which  (day)  the  heavens  with  a  great  noise  shall  pass  by :  iv 

V  (sc.  w^pa).     The  heavens^^Xho,  atmosphere,  as  in  5,  7, 13  vs. 

With  a  great  noise,  or  toith  a  rushing  sound,  poc^rjdSv.    The  noun 

^oT!^o<;,  (Iliad  16:  361,)  means  the  whizzing  of  an  arrow;  0yds. 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  10.  207 

9  :  315,)  it  is  used  to  denote  the  noise  made  by  asheplierd  driving 
his  flock.  Phitarch,  of  the  roar  of  the  winds,  jjot^or  Trvsu/jArwA 
Shall  pass  by  TzapeXzuaovrai :  the  verb  literally  means  to  come 
along  side  of;  hence  to  come  near,  and  to  pass  by.  Luke  12:  37. 
"He  will  come  near,  and  serve  them."  Luke  18:  37.  "They 
told  him,  Jesus  of  Nazereth  was  passing  by."  There  is  nothing 
absurd  in  supposing  that  the  verb  is  to  be  taken  in  its  strict  lit- 
eral signification  :  '  The  atmosphere  with  a  great  noise  shall  rush 
along,  and  come  near  the  earth.'  (The  adverb  /Joi!^rjd6v  implies 
swiftness  of  motion,  as  well  as  noise.)  Commentators,  however, 
generally  suppose  that  the  verb  is  metaphorical,  and  equivalent 
in  meaning  to  2)ass  avxiy,  or  perish.  It  must  be  admitted  that 
this  view  is  favored  by  Matt.  24  :  35  ;  Mark  13  :  31 ;  Luke  21 :  33. 
But  if  there  is  a  metaphor  in  the  verb,  the  meaning  is  not  that 
the  atmosphere  will  be  annihilated,  but  that  it  shall  pass  away  as 
now  constituted ;  for  that  which  is  to  be  retiovated^  is  not  to  be 
blotted  out  of  existence,  13  v.  And  the  renovation  of  the 
heavens  by  the  removal  of  noxious  qualities,  will  most  probably, 
instantly  follow  the  destruction  of  their  present  constitution. 

In  the  twelfth  verse  the  apostle  says :  The  fired  heavens  shall 
he  dissolved,  ovpavol  T:upou/xsvoi  ?.uOijffov7ai,  i.  e.,  or,  the  heavens 
set  on  fire  shall  be  loosened.  Fire,  then,  is  to  act  on  our  present 
atmosphere,  and  the  efiect  of  its  action  is  expressed  by  XuSrjtruvrac. 
i.  e.,  shall  be  loosened,  let  loose,  dissolved  or  separated.  '  The 
Lord,  in  causing  our  atmosphere,  as  it  now  is,  to  pass  away,  will 
emj)loy  fire  to  separate  or  set  free  its  present  noxious  qualities.' 

Moreover,  the  kindled  elements  shall  be  dissolved,  aToiylia  Sk 
xauffou/ieva  lo^aovzm.  Jloreover,  Si  continuative.  Kindled,  set 
on  fire,  from  xauauonai.  Hie  elements,  first  principles  or  compo- 
nent parts  of  a  thing.  Paxd  uses  the  word  to  denote  elementary 
instruction  in  the  gospel,  a  teaching  of  its  alphabet,  or  fiuula- 
mental  principles,  Ileb.  5:12.  He  calls  the  religious  instruction 
given  to  mankind  in  the  infancy  of  our  race  the  "  elements  of  the 
world,"  Tct  ffToi'/tia  TOO  xuiT/jLuu,  (Gal.  4:  1-3;  Col.  2:  20,)  or  the 


208  CHAPTER  III.,  VER,  10. 

rudimental  instruction  given  to  men  when  infants,  W^-wl^  minors, 
or  under  the  age  of  manhood.  And  he  especially  refers  to  the 
additions  made  to  divine  revelation  by  human  tradition,  and  by 
folse  and  deceitful  philosophy,  contrasting  this  medley  with  the 
true  gospel,  Col.  2  :  8.  Peter^  however,  is  predicting  the  change 
that  is  to  be  wrought  by  our  Lord  at  his  coming  in  our  material 
globe,  with  the  heavens  belonging  to  it.  It  is  evident,  therefore, 
that  he  uses  the  word  "elements"  in  its  physical  sense.  See 
LXX.  Wisd.  19:  18 ;  V:  IV  and  (TTutyjitoai^,  2  Mace.  1 :  22. 

Thomas  Dick,  if  we  remember  right,  understands  the  word 
elements  here  thus :  '  the  elements  of  which  our  present  atmos- 
phere is  composed.'  These  shall  be  set  on  fire  and  be  separated. 
But  the  passing  away  of  our  air  as  at  present  constituted  is  pre- 
dicted in  the  preceding  clause.  Besides,  in  the  twelfth  verse,  the 
apostle  says :  "  The  kindled  elements  are  melted ;"  or  "  shall  be 
melted."  But  melting  is  a  process  pertaining  to  solid  bodies 
only.     His  explanation  of  the  clause  therefore  is  imtenablo. 

Elements,  then,  must  be  referred  to  the  earth,  and  the  sense  is : 
our  present  atmosphere,  or  the  atmosphere  ^s  it  now  is,  shall  with 
a  rushing  sound  be  destroyed ;  moreover,  solid  substances  of  the 
earth  shall  be  dissolved,  or  set  free  from  their  present  position  by 
the  operation  of  fire. 

And  the  earth  and  the  worhs  on  it  shall  he  burned,  y.at  yrj  xai  ra 
^v  aor^  tpya  xarayia-jatrai  And  the  earth :  the  first  and,  or  xat',  is 
equivalent  to  and  hence,  or  and  so,  which  has  been  before  justi- 
fied by  usage.  '  Solid  component  parts  of  the  dry  ground  shall 
be  set  on  fire,  and  let  loose  from  the  positions  they  now  occupy, 
and  so  the  earth  and  the  works  on  it  shall  be  burned  down.'  To 
burn  down,  in  our  idiom,  is  either  to  burnup,  utterly  consume,  or 
simply  to  burn,  xara  intensive,  as  in  3 :  13 ;  2 :  8.  Tyndale's  version 
(edition  of  1526)  is:  "  And  the  earth,  with  the  works  that  are 
therein  shall  burn."  When  it  is  said,  "  The  earth  shall  be  burn- 
ed," it  is  not  necessary  to  suj^pose  that  the  apostle  meant  to  pre- 
dict its  annihilation ;  for  fire  annihilates  nothmg,  but  only  changes 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  10.  209 

the  forms  of  bodies.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  assume  that  the  earth 
shall  be  reduced  to  its  original  chaotic  state,  by  the  fire  operat- 
ing from  the  surface  to  the  centre.  "  The  works  on  it  shall  be 
burned  ;"  fv=on,  as  in  1 :  18. 

The  Lord  Jesus  might,  if  such  were  his  Avill,  reduce  the  present 
earth  to  atoms,  or  annihilate  it  with  its  atmosphere,  so  that  it 
should  no  longer  be  a  habitable  world,  after  his  coming.  They 
who  are  of  this  mind  often  cite  Shakspeare,  in  order  to  garnish 
their  discourse,  and  make  it  end  well : 

"  The  cloud-capt  towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces, 
The  solemn  temples ;  the  great  globe  itself, 
And  all  that  it  inherits  shall  dissolve. 
And,  like  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision, 
Leave  not  a  wreck  behind." 

But  the  question  is  not  what  our  Lord  can  do  in  this  matter, 
but  what  he  has  foretold  he  Avill  do  concerning  it,  by  his 
pi-oj)hets  and  aj)ostIes.  To  explain  the  prerliction  before  us  of 
the  annihilation  of  the  earth  as  a  habitable  world,  is  to  deny  what 
Peter  himself  has  stated  in  a  three-fold  manner.  (1)  He  declares 
that  "  the  works  on  the  earth  shall  be  burned  ;"  whether  this  re- 
lates to  the  works  of  men,  or  of  God,  or  of  both,  is  but  of  trifling 
importance,  so  for  as  pertains  to  this  question.  Now,  if  the 
words,  "  The  earth  shall  be  burned,"  mean  the  earth  shall  be 
annihilated,  it  would  have  been  the  essence  of  nonsense  for  the 
apostle  to  have  added,  "  The  works  on  it  shall  be  burned  too." 
(2)  By  contrasting  the  destruction  of  the  antediluvian  world  by 
water,  with  the  burning  of  the  present  world  by  fire,  Peter  de- 
monstrates that  lie  never  dreamed,  as  many  of  his  interpreters 
have  done,  of  its  annihilation,  G,  7  vs.  (3.)  The  prediction  in  13 
V.  is  especially  designed  to  refute  such  an  assumption.  "  But  " 
(that  is,  notwithstanding  what  I  have  just  said,  7:10-12  vs.,) 
"  we,  according  to  Ids  promise,  look  for  the  new  heavens  and 
earth  ;"  we  expect  our  earth  with  its  atmosphere  to  be  renovated, 

not  annihilated. 
14 


210  CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  10. 

Calvin  :  De  miindi  elementis  lio(j  unum  dicam,  absumptum  iri, 
tantimi  ut  novam  qualitatem  induant :  manente  substantia,  sicut 
ex  (Rom.  8  :  21,)  et  aliis  locis  facile  coUigi  potest  ...  Sic 
enim  ratiocinatur,  ccelum  et  terram  mcendto  purgatum   iri,  tit 

regno  Christi  respondeant Corrvptlo  coeli  et  terrm 

igne  purgahitur.  "  Of  the  elements  of  our  world  I  will  only- 
say  this  one  thing ;  they  shall  be  taken  away,  but  only  so  as  to 
put  on  a  new  quality,  the  substance  remaining ;  as  may  easily  be 
inferred  from  Rom.  8:  21,  and  other  passages.  .  .  .  (His 
meaning  is,  that  heaven  and  earth  will  be  so  cleansed  by  the  burn- 
ing as  to  correspond  to  Christ's  kingdom,)  .  .  The  corruption 
of  heaven  and  earth  shall  be  cleansed  by  fire."  (Compare  Belgic 
Confession,  XXXVII.)  See  Rom.  8 :  19-22,  where  Paul  predicts 
that  the  whole  of  our  world  shall  be  delivei-ed  from  the  bondage 
of  corruption  to  which  it  has  been  subjected ;  and  that  this  reno- 
vation of  our  world  is  to  take  place  at  the  time  of  the  jDublic 
manifestation  of  God's  children,  or  when  they  receive  the  re- 
demption of  their  body,  23  v. 

The  annihilation  of  our  earth  and  its  heavens  or  atmosphere,  is 
also  contrary  to  the  oracles  of  Christ's  holy  prophets,  to  which 
we  should  give  heed,  according  to  Peter's  injunction,  1 :  19 ;  3  :  2. 
"  He  founded  the  earth  on  its  bases ;  it  shall  not  he  shaken  "  (or, 
it  shall  not  he  inoved  from  its  foundations,)  '■'•for  ever  and  ever,''"' 
Ps.  104:  5;  that  is  it  shall  exist  to  all  eternity.  Ps.  104:  31. 
"  The  glory  of  Jehovah  shall  he  for  ever;  Jehovah  shall  rejoice 
i?i  his  icorks.^^  By  a  careful  reading  of  this  Psalm,  any  one  can 
see  that  the  earth,  Avith  its  atmosphere  and  sea,  its  sun  and  moon, 
is  spoken  of.  "  The  glory  of  Jehovah''''  means  the  manifestation 
of  his  excellencies  or  perfections,  as  in  Ps.  19:1.  This  glory,  as 
exhibited  in  our  world,  shall  he  for  ever.  But  how  can  this  be, 
if  it  is  to  be  blotted  out  of  existence  ?  Jehovah  shall  rejoice  in 
his  works  :  this  implies  that  our  world,  the  work  of  his  hands,  is 
to  be  renovated,  and  become  again  as  it  was  when  he  beheld 
every  thing  that  he  had  made,  and  behold,  it  was  very  good, 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  10.  211 

(Gen.  1 :  31,)  no  sinners  being  on  earth,  (Ps  104  :  35,)  so  tliat  the 
Creator  himself  rejoiced  or  took  delight  in  it  all.  And  this  reno- 
vation is  expressly  predicted,  Ps.  102  :  25-27.  Compare  Heb.  1: 
10-12. 

Some  think  that  the  conflagration  on  the  earth's  surface  will  be 
confined  to  a  part  of  the  earth  ;  at  that  place,  or  those  places, 
where  the  open  and  obstinate  enemies  of  Christ  are  assembled  at 
his  coming.  And  it  seems  to  be  clearly  foretold  that,  although 
the  Lord  is  to  come  with  fire,  for  the  destruction  of  his  eneniie« 
(Isa.  66 :  14-16  ;  2  Thess.  2 :  7,  8,)  still  all  men  are  not  to  be  re- 
moved from  the  earth,  Isa.  6G  :  18,  19,  20.  Compare  Zech.  14: 
16,  with,l-5  vs.  (1  Thess.  3:  13.)  In  Ps.  97:  3,  it  is  said:  "Fire 
shall  go  before  him,  and  consume  his  enemies  round  about." 
And  this  will  be  when  the  King  and  Lord  of  the  whole  earth  has 
come,  Ps.  97:  1,  5.  (Compare  Ps.  97:  7  with  Ileb.  1:6.)  In 
Isa.  66  :  15,  the  literal  version  is,  "For  behold,  Jehovah  in  fire 
shall  come  ;"  but  the  next  verse  shows  that  He  is  not  simply  to 
be  in  the  midst  of  fire,  or  surrounded  by  it,  but  employ  it  to  de- 
stroy his  enemies  in  great  multitudes.  Paul  says :  "  And  to  you 
who  are  aftlicted,  rest  with  us,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  re- 
vealed from  heaven,  Avith  his  mighty  angels,  in  fire  of  flame ,'  he 
giving  retribution  to  them  who  know  not  God,  and  to  them  who 
obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  2  Thess.  1 :  7,  8. 
The  Lord  Jesus,  then,  is  the  Jehovah  who  shall  appear  in  fiery 
flame,  to  punish  his  enemies:  a  comparison  with  Isa.  66:  15,  16, 
and  Ps.  9  :  73,  renders  it  highly  probable  that  he  Avill  not  only 
be  surrounded  with  fiery  flame,  but  use  it  to  destroy  his  enemies. 
Compare  2  Pet.  3 :  7.  "  Kept  for  fire  at  the  day  of  judgment  and 
destruction  of  these  ungodly  men  ;"  which  seems  to  intimate  that 
the  fire  is  not  only  to  operate  on  the  heavens  and  earth,  but  also 
on  the  scofiers,  as  the  waters  of  the  deluge  not  only  altered  for 
the  worse  our  material  globe,  but  also  took  away  its  inhabitants. 
Besides,  "  the  earth  shall  be  burned,"  may  be  used  by  synecdoche, 
the  whole  for  a  part ;  as  in  Matt.  27  :  51,  "The  earth  did  quake ;" 


212  CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  11. 

which  was  confined  to  Jerusalem,  or  Judea.  The  conflagration 
on  the  earth's  surface,  whatever  shall  be  its  extent,  will  also,  it  is 
probable,  be  employed  to  burn  the  curse  out  of  it,  (Gen.  3  : 
17-19,)  or  to  render  it  more  fruitful,  and  fitter  for  the  residence 
of  the  redeemed,  13  v. 

V.  11.  Since  then  all  these  things  are  to  he  dissolved,  robziov 
om  -dvTU)v  Ivojihiu^j,  "  all  these  things  then  being  dissolved:''''  it  is 
the  present  particle,  and  is  equivalent  to  are  to  he  dissolved.  So 
in  1  Pet.  1:13.  "  Hope  for  the  grace  that  is  hroxight  to  you  at 
the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ ;"  ^.  e.,  that  is  to  be  brought  to 
you,  or  put  into  your  hands,  when  the  Saviour  shall  appear.  Or, 
as  Winer  explains :  "Since  all  these  things  are  by  their  nature 
intended  to  be  dissolved — in  these  things  the  lot  of  dissolution  is 
already  inherent.  The  future  participle  would  indicate  mere 
futurity."  The  full  and  exact  sense  therefore  may  be  expressed 
as  follows :  '  Since  then  all  these  things  are  in  their  nature  dissolv- 
able, and  intended  to  be  dissolved.'  The  apostle  founds  his 
exhortation  to  the  cultivation  of  the  highest  degree  of  holiness 
on  the  fact  that  the  changes  which  are  to  occur  in  our  world 
when  Christ  has  come,  will  be  for  their  eternal  benefit,  (13  v.,) 
and  hence  that  they  should  not  only  expect,  but  urge  on  the  com- 
ing of  that  day,  12  v.  What  manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to 
he  ?  Here  some  put  an  interrogation  mark,  and  consider  the 
words  following  as  the  answer.  'Ye  ought  to  be  persons  perse- 
vering in  all  holy  conversation  and  godliness,  looking  for,'  etc. 
This  mode  of  punctuation  gives  the  true  meaning ;  but  in  no  re- 
spects better  than  the  mode  followed  by  our  translators,  who  seem 
to  consider  the  question  and  answer  intermingled,  as  is  quite 
natural  in  the  outpouring  of  deep  feeling.  So  also  Bloomfield. 
Ye  ought  to  be  persons  7>er5ev€r^?^^  in  {Iv)  holy  conversations  and 
godlinesses.  Conversation  and  godliness  are  plural  in  the  origi- 
nal ;  probably,  to  denote  the  A^arious  ways  in  which  we  are  to  be 
holy,  or  obey  our  Lord  in  reference  to  both  tables  of  the  moral 
law ;  which  is  well  expressed  by  our  translators :  "  in  all  holy 


CHAPTER  III.,  TER.  12.  213 

conversation  and  godliness."  Compare  1  Pet.  1  :  15.  Conversa- 
tion, avaa-:po(fq,  means  literally  turning  about  or  walk  ;  hence, 
manner  of  life,  behavior,  1  Pet.  1:  15,  18;  2:  12;  3:  1,2,  16; 
2  Pet.  2  :  7,  and  here,  conversation,  as  distinguished  from  godli- 
ness, relates  to  our  duty  towards  men,  1  :  7. 

B.  C.  have  ootm^  instead  of  oov,  but  the  latter  is  found  in  A.  G. 
K.  and  Vulgate:  cum  ha?c  igitur  omnia  dissolvenda  sint. 

V.  12.  Ye  ought  to  be  persons  persevering  in  the  discharge  of 
your  whole  duty  to  men  and  God,  while  you  are  looking  for  and 
urging  on  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God,  etc.  The  participles 
present  are  used,  -ptxrdir/Mv-aq  r.ai  GTztu5o-^-a<;.  Looldng  for,  or 
Avaitingfor,  expecting.  Urging  on  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God, 
liastening  it.  What  we  desire  intensely,  we  would  hasten,  if  in 
our  power :  the  metaphor  therefore  happily  denotes  the  great 
desire  we  should  feci  for  the  speedy  approach  of  this  day,  and 
how  earnestly  we  should  exjiress  such  desire  in  fervent  and  per- 
severing prayer.  "  Lord  Jesus,  '  why  tarry  the  Avheels  of  thy 
chariots  ? '  "  Come  quickly,  Isa.  66 :  15  ;  Rev.  22  :  20.  How  per- 
fectly  this  vigilance  in  holy  duties,  combined  Avith  ardent  hope, 
agrees  with  Peter's  mode  of  thinking,  is  evident  from  1  Pet.  1 : 
13.  The  day  of  God:  the  day  of  the  Lord,  is  the  usual  phrase, 
corresponding  to  the  Hebrew,  the  day  of  Jehovah,  10  v.  (See 
MaL  4th  chapter ;  Zech.  14.)  Peter  alters  the  usual  expression 
to  intimate,  incidentally  and  concisely,  his  view  of  Jesus  our 
Lord,  viz. :  that  he  is  the  God,  tou  Osou,  or  true  God  as  well  as 
man,  1:1,  17;  3:18;  1  John  5  :  20.  It  is  the  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Lord  and  Saviour,  (3  :  1,  4,)  that  is  maintained  against 
the  scoffers ;  and  the  time  of  his  appearing  is  the  day  of  the 
Lord,  the  time  in  which  Jehovah-Jesus  will  manifest  and  magnify 
his  power,  justice,  and  tender  mercy:  it  is  perfectly  arbitrary 
therefore  to  explain  "  the  day  of  God"  of  the  Father's  appearing. 
Christ  alone,  God-man,  is  to  come  to  our  world  as  King  and 
Judge;  he  who  is  "our  God  and  Saviour,"  (1:  1,)  "the  great 
God  and  our  Saviour,"  (Tit.  2 :  13,)  the  same  Jesus  Christ  who 


2U  CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  13. 

died  for  us,  Tit.  2:14.  It  is  the  day  of  God  tiie  Father  in  this 
sense :  the  day  appointed  by  him,  or  the  day  in  which  the  Father 
has  aj^pointed  his  Son  to  appear,  (Acts  17:  31;  Rom.  2 :  16;  1 
Cor.  4  :  5.;  2  Cor.  5:10;  Rom.  14 :  10-12,)  in  and  by  whom  he 
will  act  as  judge  ;  and  for  whom  he  has  appointed  an  everlasting 
kingdom  in  the  new  heavens  and  earth,  Luke  22  :  29. 

13y  reason  of  lohich.  Si  fjv,  'through  which,'  or  'on  account  of 
which,'  as  in  2 :  2._  'By  reason  of  wliich  coming  of  the  day  of 
God,  the  fired  heavens  shall  be  dissolved,'  etc.,  i.  e.,  on  account 
of  the  coming  of  Christ  at  the  time,  and  for  the  purposes,  ap- 
pointed by  the  Father,  the  heavens  and  earth  shall  undergo  a 
great  change,  preparing  them  for  your  everlasting  benefit,  (13  v.,) 
rjv  refers  more  particularly  to  -apoudiav.  But  if  it  refers  to  r^pApaq^ 
the  sense  is  the  same ;  the  arrival  of  the  day  of  Christ's  appear- 
ing, appointed  by  the  Father.  Time,  in  itself  considered,  or  time 
that  is  to  come,  can  produce  no  such  2:»hysical  changes  in  our 
world  as  are  predicted  in  this  context.  They  will  be  wrought  by 
the  agency  of  God  in  flesh,  and  in  that  great  day,  "  for  which 
all  other  days  were  made." 

A.  B.  G.  K.  have  ryjAs-at,  C.  and  Vulgate,  ra/.rjffsxzai.  The  re- 
maining part  of  this  verse  has  been  explained  on  10  v. 

V.  13.  JVevertheless  ice,  according  to  his  promise.^  look  for  the 
new  heavens  and  the  neio  earth,  in  which  dwelleth  righteousness^ 
The  particle  Ss.  is  here  strongly  adversative,  =but  notwithstanding, 
or  nevertheless,  as  it  is  happily  rendered  in  the  common  version. 
'  Notwithstanding  what  I  have  just  foretold  concerning  the  disso- 
lution of  our  present  heavens  and  earth,  they  shall  by  no  means 
be  annihilated.  On  the  contrary  we  expect  the  earth,  with  its 
atmosphere,  to  be  renovated ;  and  our  expectation  has  the  bes 
possible  foundation,  viz.,  our  Lord's  promise  by  Isaiah.'  The 
apostle  does  not  say,  we  expect  another  heavens  and  another 
earth,  but  nexc,  that  is  renewed;  the  substance  remaining,  but 
the  qualities  or  properties  changed  for  the  better.  Rev.  21 :  3-7  ; 
(2    Cor.  5 :   17.)     In  which,  or  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness: 


CHAPTER  III.,  TER.  13,  215 

h  olc,  referring  to  the  heavens  and  eartli,  or  renovated  world  : 
constructio  ad  sensuni :  '  In  which  renovated  workl.'  Sin  has 
reigued,  and  still  reigns,  in  our  world,  but  when  Christ  comes 
grace  and  righteousness  shall  reign.  Now  riffhteotisness  is  a  quali- 
ty of  the  mind,  and  has  no  existence  apart  from  beings  who  are 
intelligent ;  it  is  unquestionably  a  metonomy  of  the  quality  for 
the  persons  in  whom  the  quality  exists  ;  "  righteousness"  for  the 
righteous,  as  "the  circumcision"  for  the  circumcised,  Eph.  5  :  8. 
"  For  ye  were  once  darkness,  but  now  are  ye  light  in  the  Lord;" 
where  darkness  and  light  are  used  by  metonomy  for  persons  once 
darkened,  or  ignorant,  sinful  and  wretched,  and  for  persons  now 
enlightened,  or  the  opposite  of  the  former.  Accordingly  the  sense 
is :  Our  renovated  world  is  to  be  the  permanent  dwelling-place 
or  home  of  the  righteous. 

We  look  for  this  according  to  his  prot7ilse,  Isa.  65  :  17  ;  06  :  22. 
"For  as  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  which  I  will  make, 
shall  remain  before  me,  saith  Jehovah,  so  shall  your  seed  and  your 
name  remain."  J.  Addison  Alexander  interjjrets  Isaiah  05:  17, 
and  60 :  22,  as  indicative  of  a  great  and  glorious  change  in  the 
then  existing  state  of  the  church,  not  precisely  defined  by  the 
prophet ;  a  change  of  dispensation  from  the  Jewish  to  the  Chris- 
tian, (if  we  rightly  understand  him,)  in  Avhich  the  church  is  to  be, 
as  it  were,  re-created.  The  lamented  Alexander  needs  no  com- 
mendations from  us  ;  but  this  explanation  of  the  prophet  is  arbi- 
trary, and  a  i-esult  of  that  origenistic  or  allegorical  mode  of 
interpretation  which  disfigures  a  work,  marked,  in  other  respects, 
by  genius,  good  taste,  and  exceedingly  accurate  learning.  His 
interpretation  is  arbitrary,  because,  for  example,  in  words  above 
quoted  Isaiah  employs  no  allegory ;  but  a  metaphor  in  the  words 
standing  and  stand,  translated  "remain."  "The  new  heavens  and 
the  new  earth  which  I  will  make  standing  before  me,  saith  Je- 
hovah :"  literally,  "  So  your  seed  and  your  name  shall  stand." 
The  principal  or  pervading  figure,  however,  is  a  simile  or  com- 
parison, the  characteristic  of  which  is  that  the  things  compared 


216  CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  13. 

must  be  literally  understood.  Accordingly  the  meaning  of  the 
prophet  is :  '  As  the  renovated  condition  of  the  earth  and  its 
atmosphere,  which  I  will  make  shall  be  everlasting  (standing 
before  Jehovah)  so  shall  your  descendants  and  your  name  or  fame 
be  everlasting.'  And  thus  Peter  imderstood  it,  as  is  evident  from 
the  whole  preceding  context  of  the  apostle ;  but  if  we  adopt 
Alexander's  views,  then  we  make  the  apostle  say,  '  We  expect 
hereafter  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  the  Christian  Dispensation,  as 
the  Lord  has  promised  us  by  Isaiah ! ' 

Hammond  exjjlains  (3  :  10-13,)  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  Jewish  Church-state,  followed  by  the  establishment  of 
the  Christian  church  and  dispensation.  But  this  is  extravagant, 
for-fetched  and  absurd.  By  going  over  this  chapter  in  this  way, 
or  starting  from  the  thirteenth  verse  backward  to  the  first,  we 
arrive  at  an  allegorical  day  of  the  Lord,  with  allegorical  people 
expecting  it ;  a  long-suffering  of  the  Lord  that  means  nothing ; 
an  allegoi'ical  deluge  ;  an  allegorical  creation  and  conservation  of 
our  heavens  and  earth  ;  and  an  allegorical  God,  Creator  and 
Lord :  stat  nominis  umbra  ;  allegorical  scofiers ;  prophecies  and 
apostolic  writings  that  never  were  extant ;  allegorical  christians 
in  Asia  Minor ;  an  allegorical  Simon  Peter ;  and  an  allegorical 
Christ,  whom  he  pretends  to  serve  ! 

To  maintain  that  the  words,  "the  new  heavens  and  the  new 
earth,"  mean  Heaven,  as  used  in  the  ordinary  religious  dialect,  is 
"  to  bring  a  sense  to  scripture,  not  to  take  one  from  it."  Such 
should  prove  that  Heaven,  the  present  home  of  disembodied 
saints,  is  spoken  of  in  Holy  Writ  by  the  name  Earth,  with  de- 
scriptive adjectives,  such  as  old  or  new.  If  there  be  such  a  pas- 
sage in  any  part  of  scripture,  let  it  be  adduced.  Until  this  is 
done,  such  an  explanation  may  justly  be  designated  as  one 
falsely  so  called ;  one,  far-fetched,  and  wholly  repugnant  to  the 
preceding  context.  Besides,  Isa.  65  :  17-25,  and  66  :  10-22, 
demonstrate  to  all,  not  prejudiced   by  theories  of  their  own  or 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  13.  217 

Others'  devising,  that  our  earth  is  meant,  not  the  present  abode 
of  disembodied  saints. 

It  is  the  uniform  doctrine  of  scripture  that  our  world  is  to  be 
the  home  of  the  righteous,  and  the  place  of  our  Lord's  everlast- 
ing kingdom.  (See  on  1  : 1 1.)  So  we  are  taught  in  Ps.  2.  (Com- 
pare Ps.  2  :  2  with  Rev.  11 :  15.)  Also  in  Ps.  38,  with  Matt.  5:5; 
Ps.  45  ;  Ps.  67  ;  Ps.  72  ;  Ps.  96  ;  and  97  and  9S  ;  Isa.  9 :  6,  7,  with 
Luke  1  :  31-33  ;  Isa.  11  and  12  ;  Dan.  2:  44  and  7:  15-27.  In 
the  72d  Psalm,  for  examj^le,  the  everlasting  continuance  of  the 
sun  and  moon  is  taken  for  granted  by  the  prophet,  and  the  glory 
of  Messiah  the  King,  as  well  as  the  happiness  of  the  righteous, 
is  compared  with  the  duration  of  these  luminaries  of  our  system, 
5  ;  7,  17.  If  they,  then,  are  to  be  blotted  out  of  existence,  Christ 
and  his  j^eople  may  be  so  too.  But  the  prophet,  in  this  Psalm, 
not  only  predicts  Christ's  eternal  glory,  and  all  nations  as  then 
blessed  in  him,  but  declares  that  the  earth  is  to  be  the  place 
where  his  dominion  is  to  be  established,  and  his  name  (fame  or 
glory,)  to  be  everlastingly  perpetuated.     8-11  vs.,  17  v. 

But  in  this  epistle  we  are  taught  by  the  apostle  that  our  world, 
in  'its  renovated  form  or  condition,  is  to  be  the  abode  of  the 
righteous,  when  Christ  comes  to  destroy  false  teachers  and  scoff- 
ers, and  to  introdacG  the  saints  into  his  everlasting  kingdom. 
Rev.  11 :  15  ;  Dan.  2  :  44  ;  7:27.  For  our  blessed  Saviour  is  to 
sit  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  only  until  all  his  enemies  have 
become  his  footstool ;  and  Avhen  they  are  destroyed,  he  will  give 
up  the  vice-royality  of  the  Universe  to  the  Father,  and  reign  for 
ever  and  ever  on  earth.  Ps.  110:  1,  with  1  Cor.  15:  24.  (See 
on  1 :  11.)  For  who  can  dream  that  the  saints  Avill  liave  their 
everlasting  home  on  earth,  and  their  Redeemer  and  Lord  be 
somewhere  else  in  the  universe?  Col.  3:  4;  1  John  3:  2.  And 
yet  Barnes  informs  us  that  nothing  is  said  by  Peter  of  such  a  per- 
sonal reign  of  Christ !  When  our  Saviour  comes  the  second  time 
to  our  Avorld,  he  will  bring  all  the  saints  from  heaven  with  liim  to 
the  earth,  1  Thess.  3  :  13.     (Zech.  14  :  5.)     That  is,  he  will  bring 


218  CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  13. 

their  disembodied  spirits,  (Enoch  and  Elijah  excepted  Avho  have 
bodies,)  with  him,  and  unite  them  to  their  glorified  bodies, 
1  Thess.  4:16;  Phil.  3  :  20,  21.  The  saints  then  Hving  shall  be 
changed  from  mortal  to  immortal  in  a  moment,  1  Cor,  15  :  51-53. 
But  where,  in  any  part  of  the  New  Testament,  is  it  said  that 
Christ,  with  his  people,  shall  ever  leave  the  earth  ?  On  the  con- 
trary it  is  said  that  the  dominion  of  the  earth  shall  be  His,  and 
that  he  shall  reign  here  for  ever  and  ever. 

That  the  earth,  in  its  future  renovated  condition  is  to  be  the 
place  of  Christ's  everlasting  kingdom,  is  declared  also  in  Ileb.  1. 
"  But  when  he  shall  again  have  brought  in  the  first  begotten  into 
the  habitable  earth,  he  says :  and  let  all  the  angels  of  God  wor- 
ship him:  ozav  8s  TdXvj  elffaydyrj  zdv  Trpioroy.ov  ei'c  Tr^v  uixouij-i-^r^v. 
(The  position  of  TzdXtv  shows  that  it  modifies  elffaydy^  ;  Avhich  is 
confirmed  by  5  v. ;  for  there  y.ai  Tvdhv  not  only  precedes  the  quo- 
tation, but  stands  isolated.  If  the  order  had  been  -aXr^  de  oza'^, 
etc.,  then  the  common  version  could  be  justified  ;  as  it  is,  the 
marginal  translation  is  alone  correct.)  Here  the  Z,ord,  or  kinff  is 
mentioned,  "the  first  begotten;"  compare  Rom.  8:  29;  Col.  1: 
15,  18  ;  Rev.  1:5;  the  time,  "  when  he  shall  again  have  brought 
in ;"  at  his  second  coming  :  the  place,  "  the  habitable  earth  :" 
compare  2  :  5-8.  In  the  preceding  context  the  Lord  or  King  is 
more  particularly  described  as  God's  Son,  or  God  in  flesh,  5  v, 
with  Ps.  2.  The  quotation  contained  in  this  sixth  verse  is  taken 
from  Ps.  97  :  7,  according  to  the  LXX. ;  which  Psalm  describes 
the  reign  of  Jehovah-Jesus  in  our  world,  after  the  destruction  of 
his  enemies.  In  the  eighth  verse,  his  kingdom  on  earth  is  declared 
to  be  everlasting :  "  But  to  the  Son,  (he  says,)  Thy  Throne,  O 
God,  is  forever  and  ever ;  a  sceptre  of  uprightness  is  the 
sceptre  of  thy  kingdom,"  Throne  and  scejatre  are  used,  by  me- 
tonomy,  for  the  signs  or  outward  indications  of  his  presence  as 
King  of  the  earth.  These  Avords  are  taken  from  Ps.  45  :  6.  In 
10-12  vs.,  our  world,  as  renovated  is  particularly  mentioned  as 
the  scene  of  our   Lord's   reign,     '•^  And  (to  the  Son  he  says:) 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  11.  219 

Thou,  Lord,  in  the  beginning  liast  laid  the  foundation  of  tlie 
earth ;  and  the  heavens  are  the  works  of  thy  liands.  They  shall 
perish;  but  thou  remainest:  and  they  all  shall  become  old  as  a 
garment ;  and  as  a  Axsture  shalt  thou  fold  them  up,  and  they  shall 
be  changed:  but  thou  art  the  same,  and  thy  years  shall  not  fail." 
(Compare  Heb.  13  :  8.)  These  words  are  taken  from  Ps.  102  :  2.5, 
27.  Our  world  will  be  changed  for  the  better,  be  furnished  with 
a  holyday  suit,  so  that  thus  even  dumb  nature  will  welcome  our 
Lord.  (The  sacred  writer,  in  Ileb.  1,  shows  that  Jesus  Christ, 
God-Man,  is  far  superior  to  the  angels,  first,  because  as  Creator 
and  Upholder  of  the  universe,  he  is  its  rightful  Lord,  and  as  the 
Redeemer  of  lost  men  justly  sits  at  the  Father's  right  hand,  (2  : 
3  ;)  and,  next,  because  as  God-Man  Mediator  he  is  to  be  "  the 
Lord  of  the  whole  earth,"  4-12.  Comp.  2  :  5.)  See  also  Matt. 
19:  28;  Acts  3:  19-21. 

B.  C.  G.  K.  have  -/.axa  to  e-ayyiXtj-a,  xat  ra  e-ayyaXiiara  ;  xati/r^v 
is  found  in  the  Vulgate,  uEthiopic  and  Syriac  versions.  A.  C. 
have  y.s'>r/>:  in  reference  to  this  reading  as  found  in  A.,  T.  Smith 
says ;  "  scriptura  non  inusita :  utpote  simplice  vocali  pro  dipthongo 
posita:  quod  millics  factum,  hujus  venerandi  codicis  membranas 
volvendo,  oservavi."  Tischendorf:  p.  XXXVIII.  "  ar  cum  s 
confusum,  quo  nihil  frequentius  :"  ita  cismus  [Iwra/uan  ()?.) 

'■'Wherefore,  beloved,  since  ye  are  looking  for  these  things, 
hasten  that  yc  may  be  found  by  him  in  peace,  spotless  and  blame- 
less ;  "and  tliink  that  the  long  suttering  of  our  Lord  is  salvation  ; 
even  as  our  beloved  brother  Paul,  according  to  the  wisdom  given 
him,  Avrote  unto  you  ;  '"he  also  (he  wrote)  in  all  his  epistles, 
speaking  in  them  of  these  things  in  which  are  some  things  hard 
to  be  \inderstood,  which  the  unlearned  and  uncstablished  wrest, 
as  also  (they  wrest)  the  other  scriptures,  unto  their  own  destruc- 
tion. "Ve  therefore,  beloved,  since  ye  know  (these  things)  be- 
forehand, be  on  your  guard  lest,  hurried  away  by  the  error  of  the 
lawless,  ye  fall  from  your  own  steadfastness;  **but  grow  in  grace, 
and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 
To  him  be  the  glory,  both  now  and  to  the  day  of  eteinity. 

V.  14.  ^V7ler€/ore,  beloved,  since  ye  are  IooIcukj  for  these 
things.     The  participle   again  expresses  a  reason,  -pua'^ox.uiy-cs.c;. 


220  CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  15. 

These  things,  raura,  that  is  an  eternal  residence  with  Christ  at  his 
coming  in  our  world,  purified  and  renewed,  10-13  vs.,  4  v.;  not, 
"such  things,"  the  Greek  for  which  is  roiau-a,  as  in  Rom.  1 :  32. 
2 :  2,  and  often  elsewhere.  Hasten,  be  in  earnest,  use  the  utmost 
diligence,  or  run  in  the  way  of  holiness.  Compare  1 :  10,15. 
That  ye  may  he  found  by  him  in  peace,  spotless  and  blameless  / 
that  ye  may,  at  his  arrival,  be  discovered  and  acknowledged  by 
Christ  as  his  friends,  and  not  be  blamed  by  him:  or,  use  your  ut- 
most efforts  so  to  live  as  not  to  be  made  ashamed  by  being  separat- 
ed from  Christ  at  his  coming.  (1  John  2:28;  y.a\  p-r^  atayy^OuJiisv  ar? 
aoTou,  iv  rrj  rapouaia  abroo.  Compare  2  Thess.  1 :  9.)  "  Tliat  the 
testing  of  your  faith  may  be  found  ending  in  praise,  and  honor, 
and  glorj",  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,''''  1  Pet.  1 :  7.  "And 
he  that  believeth  on  Him  shall  not  at  all  be  made  ashamed,"  1 
Pet.  2  :  6.  Compare  Matt.  7  :  23.  In  peace,  means  in  a  State  of 
reconcihation  ;  or  as  his  friends,  (John  15:  14,)  who  have  obeyed 
his  commands.  Blameless,  aiicotiriroi — unblamed,  i.  e.  by  Him ; 
blameless,  or  without  blemish.  (Compare  1  Pet.  1:19;  2  Pet  2  : 
13,  Gr.)  Eph.  5:  27;  1  John  3  :  2,  3.  ('Hasten  to  be  found,' 
(TTToudaffare  eufisOr^ydt,  is  equivalent  to  '  Hasten  that  ye  may  be 
found  ;'  make  haste  to  obey  Jesus  our  Lord,  that,  when  he  comes, 
you  may  be  found  as  indeed  his  friends.  Eirj'^rj,  see  1  Pet.  3:11; 
Heb.  11:  31  ;  12:  14;  Luke  14:  32.) 

V.  15.  And  thinh  that  the  long  suffering  of  our  Lord  is  salva- 
tion ;  think  it  not  slowness  or  delay,  as  scoffers  do,  (9  v.,)  but 
the  cause,  or  primal  spring,  of  your  salvation.  Salvation  means 
complete  deliverance  from  all  evils,  at  our  Lord's  coming.  Com- 
pare 1  Pet.  1  5-10,  13.  The  effect,  salvation  is  put  by  metonomy 
for  the  cause.  See  Ex.  15:2;  Ps.  27 :  1  ;  Acts  4:12.  There 
Peter  says,  "  Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other ;"  only  in 
him  can  be  found  its  cause,  he  alone  is  the  author  of  it.  Heb.  5  : 
9,  aiTioq.  Compare  2  Tim.  1  :  4,  to  which  Peter  alludes.  Our 
JLord,  that  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lord  and  Saviour,  whose  coming 
is  all  along  spoken  of,  3  :  2,  4,  9,  10,   18.     Even  as  our  beloved 


CHAPTER  III.,  TER.  16.  221 

brother  Paul,  according  to  the  wisdom  given  him,  lorote  imto  you : 
now,  Paul  wrote  to  the  churclies  of  Galatia,  to  Epliesians  aud 
Colossians,  living  in  Asia  Minor;  to  say  nothing  ofliis  epistles  to 
Timothy,  sent  to  Ephesus,  for  these  are  official  letters  ;  or,  that  to 
Philemon,  Avhich  is  a  private  letter  to  a  friend  in  Colosse.  And 
Peter  wrote  to  Christians  living  in  Asia  Minor :  so  that  what  he 
here  says  is  altogether  accurate,  and  hence  he  justly  called  Paul 
and  himself  "your  apostles,"  3:  2.  llie  icisdom  given  Paul,  or 
divinely  bestowed  on  him,  means  his  inspiration ;  or  that  compre- 
hensive and  i^rofound  knowledge  of  the  Gospel,  that  accurate  un- 
derstanding of  the  plan  of  salvation  and  of  the  purposes  of  the 
Saviour,  which  was  imparted  to  him  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  The 
apostle  thus  alludes  to  Eph.  3  :  52.  Compare  Eph.  1  :  8-10*; 
Gal.  1 :  12  ;  1  Cor.  12  :  8.  'Paul  wrote  to  you,  Christians  in  Asia 
Minor,  by  divine  inspiration.'  By  calling  Paul  his  beloved  brother, 
he  alludes  to  Gal.  2  :  9  ;  11  :  12.  Thus,  in  the  most  artless  man- 
ner, he  shows  that  his  heart  was  free  from  envy,  false  ambition, 
and  belittling  pride,  or  that  he  had  not  a  particle  of  the  spirit  of 
a  Pope;  and  that  he  was  manly  enough  to  forgive  a  pungent  and 
public  reproof)  when  he  had  been  blamed  at  Antioch,  and  that 
justly. 

V.  16.  As  also  (he  wrote)  in  all  his  epistles;  ojz  (i'y/nxcj's'y)  h, 
etc. :  so  below,  "  As  also  (they  wrest,)  the  other  Scriptures." 
'  Paul  also  wrote  all  those  epistles,  Avhich  are  not  directly  and 
originally  addressed  to  Christians  in  Asia  Minor,  in  the  same 
way  as  those  addressed  to  you,  viz.,  by  the  wisdom  given  liim.' 
Speaking  in  them,  iv  abrai-;,  i-  e.,  in  the  epistles  not  originally 
directed  to  you ;  of  these  things,  or  the  leading  subjects  of  this 
epistle.  See  1  and  2  Thcss. ;  Pom.  2  :  6-lG  ;  1  Cor.  6  :  9,  10  ;  15  : 
23-28;  Rom.  8:  18-23;  Phil.  2:  16;  3:  17-21.  In  xchich  are 
some  things  hard  to  be  understood,  or  not  easy  to  be  interpreted. 
Kot  all,  but  some  /  not  iinjyossible  to  be  understood  and  explain- 
ed, but  dlfficidt.  And  these  things  or  topics  relate  not  to  the 
mode  of  a  sinner's  acceptance  with  God,  or  liis  duty  or  the  cer- 


222  CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  16. 

tainty  of  an  unspeakably  great  and  glorious  reward  at  Christ's 
coming  to  those  who  truly  trust  in,  love  and  obey  him ;  but  to 
other  topics.  C.  G.  K.  have  ^i'  oh='u\  which  things,  or  among 
Avhich  subjects  :  A.  B.,  iv  aU,='in  which  epistles.  The  former  is 
edited  by  Tischendorf,  Bengel,  Bloomfield,  Griesbach,  and  Hahn  ; 
the  latter  by  Lachmann.  We  consider  the  former  genuine.  '  In 
Avhich  things  or  subjects  there  are  some  topics  introduced  hard 
to  be  understood:'  e.g.,  1  Cor.  15:  23-28.  These  difficult  pas- 
sages in  Paul's  epistles  relate  not  to  the  decrees  of  God,  as  Ben- 
son and  Scott  suppose ;  but  more  particularly  to  the  07^der  of 
succession  of  the  events  that  are  to  precede,  accompany,  and 
follow  Christ's  coming.  Herein  there  are  difficulties,  not  only  in 
I^aul,  but  in  Peter,  and  in  the  prophets.  The  more  haste  one 
makes  in  these  matters,  the  less  speed,  or  true  progress.  In  our 
judgment,  the  great  leading  facts  stand  out  prominently  on  the 
prophetical  and  apostolical  paintings,  or  descriptions  of  the  great 
day ;  to  group  them  in  the  right  order  is  indeed,  difficult,  but  the 
apostle  does  not  say,  impossible.  Herein  a  very  careful  collation 
of  parallel  prophecies  is  necessary,  together  with  long-continued 
and  patient  attention,  and  fervent  prayer.  Compare  1  Pet.  1 : 
10-12.  And  they  to  whom  our  Lord  gives  leisure,  and  who  are 
set  apart  to  study  and  explain  his  oracles,  should,  in  an  especial 
manner,  thus  give  heed  to  the  prophetic  word,  and  apostolical 
scriptures.  These  stars  in  Christ's  right  hand  should,  after  care- 
ful preparation,  give  light  to  the  disciples  in  his  house  in  reference 
to  the  coming  of  Christ  as  King  and  Judge,  Rev.  1 :  5,  7  ;  16  : 
20.  For  many  of  the  things  connected  in  Scripture  with  our 
Lord's  advent  ai'e  easy  to  he  understood— \i  we  come  to  "  the 
word  of  Christ "  wath  a  child-like  disposition,  or  a  desire  to 
learn.  '  To  test  human  systems  of  divinity  by  the  infallible  rule, 
can  never  be  out  of  place  ;  and  in  no  particular  do  such  systems 
need  remodelling  more  than  in  eschatology,  or  the  doctrine  of  the 
last  things. 

Which  the  U7ilearned  and  unestahUshed  xcrest :  which  things, 


CnAPTERIIL,  TER.  17.  223 

a,  Avhich  dlfticult  subjects.  Tlie  unlearned,  i.  e.,  in  tlicsc  matters, 
unlearned  in  scriptural  and  apostolical  prophecy,  and  especially 
as  to  our  Lord's  advent.  Benson,  McKnight  and  Doddridge 
translate  uc  d,'/.aOIi^  "  the  unteachable ;"  but  it  proi)erly  means  the 
untaught,  tlie  unlearned.  The  nnestablished,  uffrr^i/'.xroi,  arc 
those  not  confined  or  fixed  in  the  love  of  holiness,  as  in  2  :  14 
Such  persons  avail  themselves  of  these  difficult  subjects  for  sinis 
ter  purposes  ;  they  wrest  or  torture  them:  L  e,  they  put  such 
passages  on  the  rack  of  their  intellect,  not  to  find  out  or  explain 
the  truths  contained  in  them,  but  to  make  them  express  what 
til ey  wish.  As  also  (they  torture)  the  other  Scriptures:  they 
treat  not  only  these  difficult  subjects  in  this  way,  but  also  the 
rest  of  the  Scrijjtures  in  the  same  manner.  Here  Peter  classes 
Paul's  epistles  with  the  Scriptures,  because  inspired  or  written 
with  the  wisdom  given  him ;  and  he  does  so  on  a  very  suitable 
occcasion,  when  near  death  ;  and  when  predicting  the  destructive 
errors  and  conduct  of  false  teachers  and  scoffers.  But  this  violent 
and  wilful  perversion  of  the  meaning  of  Scripture,  Avhcther  re- 
lating to  Christ's  advent  and  topics  connected  with  it,  or  to  other 
matters  revealed  by  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  a  very  sinful  and  dan- 
gerous business,  and,  if  persisted  in,  will  lead  to  the  destruction 
of  those  engaged  in  it.     (See  on  2  :  1,  a-whia.) 

Y.  17.  Ye  therefore^  beloved,  since  ye  Jcnoic  (these  things)  he- 
forehand ;  that  is,  since  ye  have  the  knowledge  furnished  you 
by  this  epistle  of  the  characteristics,  conduct  and  doom  of  false 
teachers  and  scoffers :  Be  on  your  guard,  watch  yourselves  ;  i.  e., 
beware  of  their  arts,  foXdaatuOt.  Take  care  that  you  do  not 
fall  from  yoicr  steadfastness :  (compare  1 :  12,)  or,  beware  that 
you  do  not  loose  your  convictions  and  firm  persuasion  of  the 
necessity  of  truth  and  holiness  on  your  j^art  for  a  residence  in 
our  renovated  world,  in  Christ's  everlasting  kingdom.  Be  on 
your  guard  lest,  hurried  away  by  the  errors  of  the  lawless,  ye  fall 
from,  etc.,  ttj  tujv  dOitxfKov  -Xavrj  aova-ayOiv-zzq  :  led  away,  driven, 
or  hurried  along  with  others,  is  what  is  expressed  by  the  parti- 


224  CHAPTER  III.,  YER.  18. 

ciple ;  like  a  heedless  bystander  in  and  by  a  crowd.  The  refer- 
ence is  to  a  sudden  and  temporary  wavering  of  behavior,  such  as 
Peter  himself  and  Barnabas  exhibited  at  Antioch.  (Compare  Gal. 
2:13,  Gr.,  to  which  Peter  here  alludes.)  Benson  and  Bloomfield 
think  the  metaphor  is  derived  from  a  torrent ;  but  this  view  is 
not  so  probable  as  the  one  just  given.  Tlie  error  (theoretical  and 
practical)  of  the  Icmless,  means  their  wandering  from  truth  and 
holiness.  The  ftilse  teachers  and  scoffers,  are  here  denoted  by 
"  the  lawless." 

V.  18.  But  groio  in  grace :  grace  by  raetonomy,  for  gracious  en- 
dowments or  virtues,  the  cause  for  the  effect.  Groiv  in  grace, 
that  is,  desire  and  endeavor  so  to  do  ;  comp.  1:5.  Add  to  your 
faith,  boldness,"  etc.  And  in  the  knoioledge  of  our  Lord  mid 
Siaviour  Jesus  Christy  i.  e.,  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  great  sub- 
ject of  which  is  Christ  considered  as  Saviour  and  Lord :  hnoiol- 
edge^  by  metonomy,  for  the  source  of  it,  or  the  means  by  which 
it  is  acquired.  See  John  5  :  39.  Here  we  should  observe  that 
there  can  be  no  increase  in  holiness  without  growth  in  truth  ; 
and  truth  relating  to  our  Lord's  kingly,  as  well  as  his  prophetical 
and  priestly  office.  The  divine  word  is  not  only  the  instrumental 
cause  of  our  regeneration,  (1  Pet.  1  :  23,)  but  also,  of  our  pro- 
gressive sanctification  ;  for  we  groio  thereby  unto  salvation,  1  Pet. 
2  :  2.  (Another  imdesigned  allusion  to,  or  coincidence  with,  his 
first  ej^istle.) 

To  him,  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  be  the  glory  both 
noto,  and  to  the  day  of  eternity.  Here  Peter  adores  Jesus  Christ 
as  truly  God,  as  God  in  flesh ;  as  the  great  author  of  our  present 
holiness  and  future  bliss ;  as  of  right  deserving  our  present  Avor- 
ship,  and  our  eternal  adoration  :  which  false  teachers,  ancient  and 
modern,  refuse  to  teach  or  do. 

What  praises  will  fall  from  our  lips,  what  warm  and  ever-glow- 
ing love  will  be  in  our  hearts,  when  we  see  him  as  he  is,  and  are  like 
him  in  body  and  mind  ;  when  we  inhabit  our  world,  Avholly  freed 
from  the  curse  of  the  fall ;  where  there  shall  be  no  tempter,  no 


CHAPTER  III.,  VER.  18.  225 

false  teachers  nor  scoffers ;  no  sickness  nor  death ;  where  we  shall 
obtain  joy  and  gladness  unspeakable,  and  eternity  be  the  day  in 
which  we  will  serve  Christ  and  triumph  in  him,  enjoying  our  in- 
heritance incoiTuptible,  undefiled,  and  that  cannot  fade!  "He 
who  testifieth  these  things  saith,  Surely  I  CDuie  quickly.  So  be 
it.     Come,  Lord  Jesus."    Rev.  22 :  20. 

That  the  apostles  and  prhnitive  disciples  expecte  d  with  earaest 
desire  the  coming  and  kingdom  of  our  Lord ;  that  these  things 
were  the  great  objects  of  their  hope,  and  the  most  powerful  and 
exhilirating  motives  inciting  them  to  duty,  and  enabling  them  to 
rejoice  amidst  manifold  trials,  is  evident,  not  only  from  this 
epistle,  but  from  clear  and  emphatic  declarations  in  other  parts 
of  the  New  Testament.  As  specimens,  see  1  Pet.  1  :  6-1 3  ;  4  : 
12,  13  ;  5  :  1-4  ;  Jas.  5  :  7,  8  ;  2  :  5  ;  1 :  12  ;  1  John  3  :  1-3  ; 
1  Cor.  1:  7-9;  CoL  3:  1-4;  Tit.  2:  11-14;  1  and  2  Thess., 
throughout;  Rom.  8:  16-23.  But  now,  how  many  disciples  of 
Christ  hve  in  bondage  through  fear  of  death ;  as  if  he  had  not 
died  to  deliver  them  from  it ;  as  if  he  were  not  coming  to  com^ 
plcte  their  salvation  in  soul  and  body!  Ileb.  2  :  14,  15  ;  9  :  28. 
Surely,  the  apostolic  and  primitive  type  of  piety  can  never  be  re- 
formed by  substituting  for  it  the  fear  of  death. 

And  "Satan,"  says  Calvin,  "aims  right  at  the  throat  of  the 
church,  when  he  attempts  to  overthrow  our  faith  in  Christ's 
advent."  Let  it,  therefore,  be  our  highest  ambition  and  daily 
business  to  promote  his  glory  now,  in  propagating  the  gospel,  and 
in  every  good  word  and  work ;  and,  to  be  found  by  him  in  peace, 
spotless  and  blameless,  when  he  comes,  according  to  his  promise, 
to  renovate  our  world  as  the  eternal  home  of  the  righteous,  v^ 


16 


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